Believe It
by michalkas
Summary: When Elena finds a picture of Damon and his mother, she confronts him causing his past to catch up with him. D/E.
1. Chapter 1

_His shoes on the wooden flooring alerted her of his presence. For days she had been kept hostage by the silk sheets that were her only source of warmth. The soot from the fire continued to catch in her throat, erupting a cough that would render her breathless as it subsided. He was 10 years old, simply naïve enough to believe she simply had a head cold that would vanish in the next few days. He had one recently; she must have caught it from taking care of him or that's what he thought. Removing his jacket, he pulled a newly printed picture out of the pocket before one of his many nanny's took it from him. _

"_Mother, I have a present for you," Damon chirped happily as he pushed the grand door open, leading into his parents bedroom. "I apologize for the lack of presentation but I was simply too excited to keep it any longer. Elizabeth said it might make you feel better," he said with a smile as he sat in the wooden chair next to his mother's bedside. Beads of sweat were falling from her fore head; her long raven black hair was down, something rare for a woman of that time. _

"_How sweet of you dear, can I see?" she asked, holding her shaking hand out to retrieve the gift from her eldest son. He nodded with his winning smile, even at that age and handed the picture over. "It's perfect Damon, don't you look handsome," she added with a weak smile, her eyes looking over the image of herself and the small boy in front of her, poised in front of their house. _

"_You don't like it?" he asked seeing her small smile. For as long as he could recall, her smile was bright and large, much like his. _

_She shook her head, placing the picture on the bed next to her and reached for her son, taking his hand in hers. "I love it, Damon and I love…" She began to cough, violently and loud enough that it made Damon jump back in fear. His eyes were filled with alarm as he reached for the water that had been placed next to her bed for moments like this. He raised it to her pale lips, trying to get her to drink to soothe the burning that was putting her through all the pain. She shook her head as the picture fell to the ground, Giuseppe walking in with two of the maids behind him. Without thinking, he pushed his son out of the way, causing him to fall into the mirror that was at the mirror. Elizabeth, his nanny, ran into the room hearing the crash and ushered him out of the room, into the nursery a few doors down where his baby brother, Stefan lay in his blankets, placed in his wooden crib. _

"_Sit here Damon, keep Stefan close, he needs his big brother," she said gently, showing no alarm in her voice as she picked the small boy out of the crib and handed him to his brother._

"_Is mother okay?" he asked, placing his arms around the small boy as he was placed on his lap. _

_She nodded, knowing her fate but keeping it from her son who loved her dearly. "I will sit with you until you father is finished, shall we play a game?" she asked kneeling down next to them and smiling softly. Rising to her feet once more, she closed the door to the nursery, drowning out the sound slightly. With her back turned to the boys, she let out a breath knowing what was happening. Knowing their mother's time was up. _

_For the next fifteen or so minutes, Damon sat against the door listening for the sound of his mothers voice. Stefan, far to young to realize anything was happening, played happily with the nanny in the middle of the room, unaware of his brother. Silence fell over the Salvatore manor, alerting Elizabeth that it was over. _

"_Where is he? Where is Damon?" Giuseppe's voiced almost sounded like a roar as he exited the bedroom his wife lay motionless inside. Damon stood up at once opening the door and making him visible to his father. He expected to be allowed to see his mother again, let them continue the conversation they were having about his trip into Mystic Falls. Instead, he found himself pushed against the wall, the painting of his great grandfather shaking above his head._

"_Do you see what you have done boy?" his father yelled, causing his eyes to bulge in fear. "I loved you're mother and you killed her, the day you entered this world, you cursed her. She is dead and it is your fault! Why couldn't you have been more like you're brother? Simple, quiet! Instead you had to be the way you are, sickly, causing trouble wherever your path may take you. Get out of my sight boy and if I see you again this evening, you'll be joining her," _

_With tears threatening to pour down his pale cheeks, Damon nodded and rushed off to the stairs at the end of the corridor. Almost tripping a couple of times, he made it to the bottom and opened the door that leads to the gravel entry way that welcomed guests daily. He ran, he ran into the woods and past the old church that he hadn't taken any interest in. His feet collided with a stray branch, causing him to fall at the feet of the Fell family grave sight. His face was covered in the wet mud that was all around him but he never lifted his head as the salty tears escaped him, the memory of the picture long forgotten already._

_

* * *

_

Just like every other night since Rose died, she found him sitting in the leather arm chair next to the fire, the bright flames highlighting his structured cheeks. A reflection hit the wall opposite him as he swirled the glass container filled with fiery liquid, she didn't actually see him take a sip of it.

"Saint Stefan's not here' he muttered, his eyes never leaving the burning flames in front of him. "He's out chasing the white rabbit to Neverland"

"That's Peter Pan, Neverland. Alice in Wonderland is the White Rabbit," Elena replied staying firmly in her place leaning against the wooden frame of the room. Without him even turning his head, she knew he was rolling his eyes.

"Good for Peter Pan," He brought the pristine glass to his lips but froze as he heard her footsteps. Taking a breath, he placed his arm lazily back over the side of the chair, the glass almost hitting the carpeted floor below him. "You're obviously not looking for Stefan,"

"I know he's with Caroline, Damon," she said sitting on the couch across from him. He raised his head just slightly so she was now in his line of vision. Her hair was pulled back, random pieces falling in front of her eyes. She was simply in jeans and an obviously old hoodie that may of belonged to Jeremy at one point but to him, she never looked more beautiful. "He has been all day and will be until Saturday afternoon. I came here to talk to you."

"Fun," he said, sarcasm dripping from each letter in the word. "Is there something in particular that you need my opinion on?"

"You don't need to be so bitter," she replied kicking off her shoes and crossing her legs, looking over at him as he returned his bright blue orbs to the fire place. She waited for a reply, expecting him to tell her to leave but it never came. He sat silently, not moving in his position. "Well that's why I'm here"

"Really?"

She nodded, going into the pocket of her jeans and pulling out a crumpled piece of paper that could easily be over one hundred years old. Unfolding it carefully, her index finger ran over the indent that was a tear, straight down the middle, separating the two figures that stood in the frozen memory in time. "I found this when I was helping Stefan clear out some old stuff. Almost ancient stuff actually,"

"Is it a picture of him with Peter Pan?"

"Damon,' she warned looking up at him with the same look she gave him when she knew he was hungry for blood. His eyebrows moved into the sarcastic frown that he had mastered over the years of mortality. Carefully turning it around, she watched his features turn cold as he saw what she had in her small hands. It was in the same form that Katherine's portrait was. Sketched but showing every detail of the men on the paper. His hair, known for being perfectly straight and normally slicked back was falling in small curls over his eyes. He was clad in a simple white shirt, black suspenders holding his trousers up; he looked no older than 10 years old.

"And what is the importance of that?" he asked, no life coming into his words.

"Damon, she's your mother," Elena said lightly.

"So? She's dead." He said simply, raising the glass once again and downing the entire glass in one gulp. Elena sighed as he lifted himself out of the chair and went to pour himself another glass of bourbon. She moved quickly, her hand grasping his wrist as he pulled the bottle from the selection in front of him. His eyes pierced straight through hers, looking down at his hand and back up at her a few times. "She's dead and I don't care."

"Liar," she said firmly. Even though he had the strength to move his hand without her noticing, he didn't move. She had called him many things, accused him of everything under the sun but never had she called him a liar. "You're a liar Damon, you do care and I know you do. You may be a macho Vampire that has no emotions but I can see it in your eyes that you miss her every single day of your life, no matter how long it will be. My parents died too you know, I had that same vacant look that has never left your face since I met you. Something is harbouring you from your past and you are just too scared to admit what it is."

Damon's face fell. No longer was it the mask that showed no emotion. His eyes were glassy. His lips were pressed into a tight line as she spoke and he was looking straight at her. Her hand was still placed over his wrist and he could feel that patch of skin more so than any other on his body, her touch made him tingle, it heated his cool skin with just a simple graze of her finger.

"Get out," he spat. She shook her head. "Elena get out before you regret it, get out of my sight before you end up where my mother is now,"

She simply shook her head once, her eyes penetrating his as she moved her hand to his, locking her fingers in his larger ones. "I'm not leaving until you tell me. You won't hurt me, you know you won't. I know you won't"

"Elena," he heard the crack in his voice, the burning in his eyes evident. He was silent for what felt like an eternity. His head dropped, his eyes leaving hers for the first time. "I'm my father,' he muttered, snatching his hand from her and backing up against the pillar that she had leant against moments ago.

"What?"

"I'm him." He said, a single tear falling from his eye. He froze as the day of his mother's death came flooding back to him. The coughing, the yelling, the mud that mixed with his tears to restrict his vision as he ran from his father. He hadn't noticed Elena moving until he felt her hand against his cheek. His head jerked up at her touch, alarming her slightly but he continued. "He said that, he said he'd kill me for I did to her. I killed my mother Elena."

She watched him, his eyes locked on hers as the pad of her thumb ran across his cheek. She felt him flinch and move his head so she couldn't touch him.

"I am the monster you think I am. Even before I turned. I was the reason she died!" he yelled the last part, moving in a blur to the other side of the room so she couldn't touch him.

"Damon you didn't,"

"No! No, Elena I did. She was sick, I was sick before her and she took care of me. I gave her it. I should be the one in the grave, I should be dead and she could of taken care of Stefan, given him the mother he always wanted. The mother he woke up crying for every night for a year! I was the last person to talk to her and I didn't help her! I didn't do anything but show her that stupid picture that I was so proud of. It's a bit paper. It means nothing," he shouted, rushing over to the couch where she had placed it, picking it up and tearing it once again. "It means nothing, it won't make up for the fact that he hated me every day until he died for what I had done to his precious wife." His tears were flowing now, catching on the paper as he tore it to bits, tossing it into the fire.

"Damon," Elena was shocked. She had never seen him so upset that it brought him to heart wrenching sobs. Before he could reach the part of the picture that kept him and his mother's images intact, she grabbed it, taking his hands after.

"How can you be near me Elena?" he wondered, her fingers tightening around his as he attempted to struggle. "How can you touch me knowing I killed her? Knowing I've killed hundreds of people. I cannot be loved, I can't even be liked and my father is the ad campaign of that. Damon Salvatore, hate him for all eternity. Let me go Elena!"

"No, Damon, I won't," she said squeezing his hands pulling him towards her. "You are loved Damon. You didn't kill you mother, you're father was grieving. You helped her, you gave her a memory filled with happiness before she went. The last thing I said to my mother, was turn the heat up. It was obvious you're mother loved you, I can see it in her eyes in the picture."

"Who loves me Elena? Random teenage girls that think I'm the real Edward Cullen? Nobody loves me, nobody every will. It will always be Stefan, Saint Fucking Stefan Salvatore. He can do no wrong, he is too young to do anything wrong. He's naïve, he doesn't know any better," he said, remembering every time his father had yelled that at him.

"Damon, I love you!"

Through the tears and anger, he looked into her eyes, seeing the pools of water identical to his. "That's a lie, you're just like the rest of them," he said bitterly, snapping his hands from the grip of hers, moving over to the alcohol. Angrily, he wiped his eyes, embarrassed by the stupidity of crying about something that happened over 150 years ago. 'It's a lie," he said quietly to himself.

"Why don't you believe me?" she asked, her back turned to him as if she was frozen to the spot that Damon had left her.

"Cause you love Stefan," he said simply, not even pouring the liquor into a glass, taking it straight from the bottle. "You looooove my brother," he said elongating his words. "Just like everyone in Mystic Falls. Everyone in the god damn world! Hell nobody would miss me. I'm sure it would turn into a holiday the day I finally kick that rusty bucket. Banners, street parties, even a carnival." He said knocking into the wooden table, the leg breaking in half at the weight of his back. He laughed at first and then saw the blunt edge of the part that had snapped away, causing the alcohol to spill over the floor. "You could start that holiday, right here. Right now." He added, picking the stake up and spinning it in his fingers.

"Why would I do that?" she asked turning around just to see him walk over to him. In a flash, he was in front of her, pushing the stake into her hands and placing its sharp edge over his heart.

"Do it, make my life a hell of a lot easier and do what you've wanted to do since you saw that raven in the graveyard. Push it through, go on."

"No," she said quietly, the fear making it difficult to form any words longer.

"Do it!" he yelled moving his hands from hers and holding them at his side. "You've got your target," He watched her, anger in his eyes. She shook her head, tears now falling from her eyes before she dropped the make shift stake to the ground with a crash.

"No," she whispered, moving towards him and grabbing his face, moving her lips to his roughly. "I don't lie, not about loving someone," she mumbled against his cold, hard lips, looking up at him through her long eyelashes. "Believe it,"

With that, the bottle dropped to the floor in suit with the stake as his arms moved to her waist, pulling her closer and capturing her lips with his. He pushed her against the wooden beam that held the house in one place, their lips moulding together in a frenzied passion.

**This may be a one-shot unless you want me to continue. Press the little review button (:**


	2. Chapter 2

Everything was a blur as their lips moulded together. The parlour span in violent circles, drowning any sound out that came from any corner of the Salvatore house. Not a whisper, not a word. Not the sound of the door opening mere feet away. All Damon could hear was Elena's rapid heartbeat as their bodies were pushed against each other, his slender fingers removing the hair tie from her hair, letting it cascade down her back.

"Please tell me that's Katherine," the voice broke them apart as if they had been shocked. Damon was defensive as he turned his head, his little brother standing there, and his jaw hanging slightly as the black veins erupted from under his skin.

"Stefan.." Elena mumbled quietly, her hand touching her swollen lips as she saw the anger in the younger vampires eyes. "Stefan, please, it's not what it looks like,"

Damon couldn't help but turn his head back to her, his line of vision capturing the pools of water that were emerging in the corner of her eyes. His breathing became ragged and not because of what they had been doing moments before his brother walked in. He could feel his fury building inside of him, ignoring the equally angry Stefan to his right. She had lied and he knew it. She loved Stefan! Not him, it was never going to be him. For whatever reason she had came here, it was out of impulse not for true feelings. He could tell at her upset. He could feel his canines drop from his gums. Why had she done this?

Before he knew it, Stefan had lunged at him, pinning him to the wooden floor, the stake inches from his back. "What did you do to her?" he sneered into his brother's face, their noses inches from each other's. "You compelled her didn't you?" he asked him, his hand moving to his older brothers throat.

"Stefan!" Elena's cry was unheard from behind the brothers as Stefan's hand tightened its grip. Stefan would have been dead, or at least extremely injured, if Damon wasn't so hurt at the lie and betrayal he was feeling. He felt weak, even if he was stronger than Stefan by miles. He found his breath catching, unable to find a gasp of air in his lungs to help him through the pain.

"Stefan, you're hurting him!"

His grip loosened as Stefan moved his eyes from his brother to hers. The tears that were falling were not for him, they were for Damon. His brother who was lying helpless underneath him. Removing his hand totally, he felt himself being pushed into the wall on the other side of the room moments after. The mirror on the wall smashed into millions of tiny little pieces as his rock hard body collided with the glass. He winced, even if he could barely feel the shards in his skin, he winced at the sound his brother made next. The sound of him darting out of the room in a flash was evident. The door slammed after him and then there was silence. Silence all but from Elena's sobs that collapsed from her chest.

Stefan looked over at the distraught girl he loved and saw her rush to his side.

"Stefan, are you okay?" she asked, obviously concerned as she placed a hand to upper arm. He snapped his arm away from her touch, standing up with a groan as tiny pieces of glass fell from his muscular back. "Stefan…"

"Don't touch me, Elena," he said standing fully, shaking his arm and letting the glass fall to the ground. If his heart was still beating, he would of felt it break the second he walked into the house. "Don't touch me."

"Stefan.."

"No!" he yelled turning to her swiftly, trying to control his vampire demons from emerging to the surface. "You were kissing him, you were practically throwing yourself at him and you expect me to believe that it was nothing again? I see it in your eyes Elena, you look at him in a way you've never looked at me or even Matt! Isobel was right, my brother is in love with you, and probably more than I am but you didn't have to do it like this." He said shaking his head and looking down at the ground. "Tell me the truth, one last time and I'll leave you and him to whatever you want, did you kiss him first?"

"Stefan…" she was repeating his name in attempt to explain, she was torn between to sides. Stefan, who she knew would care for her for as long as they were together but then there was Damon, different, something exciting even if he was sporadic. He was hurting and deep down so was she. She needed him, something inside of her was screaming that he had told her that he needed her too. She had no idea when it happened or even if it was true. It all felt like a dream, a dream that you wake up from and remember every detail. He kissed her forehead and then left, she remembered it but at the same time, she didn't.

"Tell me," he asked quietly, his eyes penetrating hers from the other side of the room. "Did you kiss him?"

She stood in silence for a second, tears flowing down her pale cheeks before nodding her head slowly. Stefan followed suit. He raised his eyebrows at the realization. Damon had won. He wasn't going to fight anymore. He didn't have the energy. Without saying another word, he let himself leave to go to his bedroom, leaving Elena standing aimlessly.

He fled from the house, not needing to see her face as she attempted to explain herself. He was just a part of the Petrova game. He should of known, Katherine being a relative of hers, no matter how long ago it was. Hours passed and he had to intention of returning to the boarding house, not now, not later. Maybe not at all. He could easily pick up and leave and she wouldn't care. Stefan would probably be happy that he was finally free of the burden that Damon felt he was. He had found remorse at the grill, that remorse being in the fast collection of liquor they held behind the grill. Nobody was working who he knew that night, nobody would stop him drowning every sorrow that haunted him. Nobody would care if he staggered out so drunk he'd probably end up walking into a branch and killing himself right there. He would keep that in mind as he left the pathetic little bar but it was all the had in Mystic Falls.

The time he had sat there, he was sure he had downed more than his average amount of scotch. Maybe two bottles more. He lost count after the 10th shot. Like he thought, nobody noticed as he wandered out of the bar barely able to walk in a straight line, a bottle of whiskey grasped in his hand. Without thinking, he found himself in the cemetery. He laughed loudly as he tripped over the stones, crashing his side into the graves. He didn't feel the pain, the alcohol had banished that years ago.

"Hello daddy dearest" he chipped as he found himself in front of his fathers grave stone. He swung back more whiskey as he sat on the back of a random gravestone behind him, not caring at all who it had belonged to. "I bet your proud, you're oldest son drowning himself in this," he continued holding the bottle up in the air. "Ah what would you care, you would just walk past me, hoping I drank myself to death. Surprise! I'm still alive. Well, sort of."

Normally he found himself able to hold his liquor, keep his façade up, not show any emotion and not even come across as drunk but he found himself swaying slightly as the liquor entered his system further. Nearly drinking a quarter of the bottle, he set it down on the tomb stone that was next to him, probably a Fell, what did he care.

"So how's the after life? Fun without the burden of the Devil's Spawn lurking around you? You with mom? Does she hate me as much as you told me she did? Hi Mom! I killed you! Remember? I finally burnt the picture of us. I'm officially not your son, there's nothing of us left" he was looking at he star ridden sky as he yelled it. "Aren't I the best son ever?"

He was leaning so far back, he could feel himself falling off the grave and didn't stop himself. Before he knew it he was lying in the mud. He laughed drunkenly at his misfortune. To him however, his laughter sounded more like tears and they soon became them, his back soaked in the brown substance he found himself in the night his mother died when he ran from his father.

He was motionless for hours. If someone had passed him, they would of thought he was dead. It didn't look like he was breathing. His cheeks were pale and damp. He forced himself to sit up, gripping the stone in front to haul himself up from the ground. Stumbling, he found himself in front of his father's grave once more. He let out a pathetic chuckle before taking his anger out on the hundred year old marking that was all he had of his father. His heel collided with the carving of his name and sent the top half of the grave hurtling into the tree's behind.

"Why didn't you want me?" he shouted at the grave as he heard it hit the ground in the distance. His eyes fluttered to his mother's grave next to it and he read the inscription. Loving Wife to Giuseppe, caring mother of Stefan. There was no mention of him in his mother's memory. His father had made him non-excitant to anyone who saw the grave.

"Why wasn't I good enough?"

**So hi 30 reviewee's! When I wrote this it was on a whim after seeing a clip of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and now people want more? I'm sorry this took so long to get up but I re-wrote this chapter three times before I got it where I wanted it to. I know you guys want smut and that will happen, eventually (: Keep the reviews coming and maybe it'll continue even further!**


	3. Chapter 3

Days passed at an agonizing pace for the residents of such a bustling town. Something happened every minute of the day but since Stefan had walked in on them, Elena felt like she was walking in continuous circles. She would look at the clock and find only a minute had past when it felt like hours to her. Her mind was playing games with her. She only left the confines of her room to go to school. Jenna was sure she was staging a protest against her cooking; of course Elena hadn't uttered the real reason. She had locked the adjoining bathroom door separating her and Jeremy and didn't utter a word at breakfast, the one time her brother and aunt saw her.

In school, she wasn't her usual self. She avoided Stefan like the plague and was sure he was doing the same to her. She was surprised that he even turned up in the morning instead of hiding away in the boarding house after it happened. That's what he usually did in situations like these. Caroline caught on that something had happened the second she saw Elena walk in the building the day after. Of course being Caroline she attempted to talk to her and get the truth from her. It didn't work. Elena wasn't sure if she was depressed over the fact that she had cheated on Stefan and it was over between them or the fact that Damon had vanished, again. Sure he'd done it before but after her confession, she felt that she had broken his unbeating heart once again. It was her fault, if she hadn't attempted to tidy some of the boxes in Stefan's room she wouldn't have came across the battered picture and none of this would have happened. Damon would still be Damon, probably sitting at the Grill with a glass of bourbon, nursing it instead of actually letting himself consume it. If she hadn't of found it, would she have said the thing she did? Would she have confessed her love for the elder Salvatore?

It frustrated her every minute that Damon wasn't around. The moment she told him replayed in her mind every time she closed her eyes. Like every other night, she lay in her bed staring at the ceiling, fingering the vervain necklace around her neck. What if Damon had ran into Klaus? Or Katherine had managed to manipulate him, taking advantage of his weakness. How many people had he killed to feed? Had he fed? Was he dead? Where was he? So many questions and no answers. He had left his phone at the boarding house and nobody knew where he was. If he was even in Mystic Falls. If he was even in America.

She was infuriated at him. She hated him for running off but couldn't help but be worried sick about him at the same time. Was that what it felt like to be in love with Damon? A constant battle of her emotions? She let out a tired sigh as she looked at the clock on her phone that was almost attached to her hand in hope that Damon might get in contact. 2 am. She was exhausted. From lack of sleep, worrying and the tears she somehow still had left to shed but she couldn't turn off.

"Jer?" she said lightly as she sat up right. Something had made a noise. Or someone. God forbid it was Alaric and Jenna again. Seeing that had scarred her for a long time. Pushing her blanket off herself, she stepped lightly onto the hard wood floor. "Jeremy, I'll kill you if you're trying to scare me,"

She walked slowly over the bathroom door, unlocking it carefully in attempt to make as little noise as she could. Jeremy's door was open and she could see him fast asleep in his bed, half hanging off it in a deep slumber through the slight crack he had left ajar.

"I'm going insane," she mumbled slightly to herself, closing her door again and padding back over to her bed. Collapsing back into the comfort of the pillows, she pulled the cover to her chin, getting comfortable in the cosy heat that her bed let off. She needed sleep, desperately. A calming breath left her lips as she turned to face the windows, a comfort for her when falling asleep. She looked up at the moon for a second before letting her eyes flutter closed. Shifting slightly, she felt herself furrow her brows in confusion and opened her brown orbs once more. Her window was open. She was sure it was closed when she got into bed earlier that evening. Out of fear, she got up again and wandered to her window slowly. Looking down into the street, she swore she saw a figure, moving slowly into the tree's that were opposite her. She blinked. It was gone.

"Insane," she said again, latching her window shut and locking it tightly before hauling the curtains closed sharply.

* * *

Elena was absent from school the next morning. Caroline had given up waiting in the parking lot and headed inside to find Stefan at his locker, tossing books into the metal wall. She frowned, tilting her head to the side as she took in his actions, his mood. Something was wrong with him as well as Elena. She heard Stefan sigh as she walked towards him, her heels giving her away before his heightened senses caught hold of her in the area.

"Morning Stefan," she said happily, choosing to take the softer route rather than just asking straight up what was wrong. "It's such a nice day and since Elena's fallen off the face of the planet, I was wondering if we could talk. I mean she has a free period this morning and so do you right? I have math first period and I'm never there anyway so the teacher won't notice, I think he gave up a long time ago in attempting to get me a grade, so can we talk?"

Stefan simply turned his head to the babbling blonde. He had known her long enough to know not to reject her. Throwing the final book into his locker, he closed the door a little to hardly, causing the students around him to jump in shock, even Caroline. "Fine,"

"Great, lets go outside," she said still in awe at the fact a ring could make her walk in sunlight without her burning to the death she feared most. She sat down on one side of the picnic table that was sat outside the school, watching Stefan slide into the other side, placing his sunglasses over his eyes, the sun beating down on him. "So what's wrong?"

"What do you mean?" he asked stupidly, looking at her through the tinted lenses, resting his chin on the palm of his hand not interested in the conversation at all.

"Why are you and Elena sulking?" she asked. "Elena hasn't been here for days and you were throwing books into your locker. I may be a you know what but I can still tell when my friends are hurting,"

Stefan sighed and looked down at the wooden table. Scratches in the wood were evident, people's names were indented into the aging surface, and he found himself picking at the splints of wood that were breaking away. "Elena kissed Damon,"

Caroline felt her eyes bulging in shock. "What? Elena, Elena my best friend kissed your brother? Not the other way around?"

"Yes, she kissed him. I walked in on them, she admitted it and he ran away and now she's sulking. She loves him, the end." He said slowly in explanation not looking up at the blonde in front of him.

"So she's with him now?"

"Caroline!" he scolded, looking up at her finally, showing that question was not needed in the slightest.

"Sorry," she said quickly, looking around to cause a silence between them before speaking again. "I'm sorry, I really am Stefan. I know how you feel about her."

"No you don't," he said simply, his voice quiet. He was heart broken; he wasn't going to hide it. He felt himself going into a world of his own before he felt his skin tingle. The surface of his hands felt warm and different. He averted his eyes to find Caroline taking his larger hands in her delicate ones.

"Yeah, I do." She said giving his hands a reassuring squeeze. "Stefan don't beat yourself up, it's her loss in my opinion. You're a great guy. So much better than Damon," she said truthfully. Ever since she turned, her memories of Damon were nothing but bad ones. She tried to look past it for the sake of her avoiding a stake being rammed through her heart however. "I'm serious, Damon sucks and I've told him that. I even threw him to the floor,"

She smiled in triumph when she heard the laugh form in his throat. "You're going to be fine, I'll make sure of it," she finished her little speech with a final squeeze of his fingers. She saw him nod a moment later and smiled once more. "How about we go to the grill later? Bonnie and Jeremy are going there and they said they were up for some pool. Take your mind off things?" she suggested.

"Sure," he said looking up at the happy girl sat across from him. "As long as I get to play you the first round,"

"Deal but I'll win,"

"We'll see about that," he said cracking a hint of a smile.

* * *

Unaware of the proceedings, Damon found himself wandering the country roads in between towns. He had no idea where he wanted to go. He had no clue what was out there. Wolves, Klaus? He just kept walking. He found himself wandering back into Mystic Falls every other night that he was away, as if a force was pulling him back to the town he called home and he always ended up in one place. Outside of Elena's house.

He heard her toss and turn in her bed. He heard her tears. He felt them. His heart twinged at the fact he knew she was hurting. As selfish as it was, he hoped it was for him and not Stefan. Just once, maybe someone felt something for him. Of course, every strand of hope was pushed back by the memories of his father's hatred.

* * *

"_Damon, you're father is asking for your presence in his study," _

"_He can wait," the young man in the corner of the garden told the elder woman standing on the porch of the Salvatore building. He was sat on a rock at the far end; a hat perched upon his curls and a battered old book in his hands. Ever since his mother's funeral, a now 22-year-old Damon had buried himself in his mother's library. Reading each book in the order she had placed them in the shelves. He was sure he had finished each book more than once and at that moment he was reading Dickens. _

_The woman rolled her eyes and stepped down onto the gravel of the entryway. She made her way over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder on approach. "You are not helping with the relationship you and you're father maintain. You could find peace within this if you just tried."_

"_Elizabeth, he blamed me for the death of my mother, you were there and have been since that day. He will never forgive me no matter how long I live. I don't see why he is requesting my presence when he will just scold me for the most obscure things. I am a grown man simply waiting for the word to leave for the forces. If anything, it will be the best day of his life when I leave this household." He told his former nanny as he looked over his shoulder for a moment, making sure he kept his mark within his book. _

"_You will forever be the stubborn boy that I watched grow. You remind me so much of her, in personality and in knowledge, make sure it isn't too late before you do give yourself the will to try, Damon." she said turning on her heel to return to the house. His eyes followed her as she went into his childhood home and waited for his father. Waited for him until he knew he would not appear. He knew his father had been losing energy. He was aging, just like everyone else._

_

* * *

_

In the moment he snapped back into reality, Damon realized he had made a noise that alerted Elena of a presence. He watched her as she walked to the bathroom door; he had no time to close the window he had opened previously. He was too weak to be able to do both. He chose to get out of sight. With what speed he had left, he moved into the darkness of the trees across from her house. Damon hadn't fed in days, he hadn't killed, he hadn't seen a blood bag and it was showing. His skin was turning grey in hunger but he didn't care. He felt it for the best. If he was gone, things would be better for everyone. He heard her muttering that she felt it was insanity that had made her hear things and he knew he had to move faster or so he hoped.

He walked for miles, finding himself on the edge of the town when darkness fell upon the country. He gripped a tree that was on the side of the road, his head pounding in need for blood, his fangs burning. Thankfully there was nobody around; otherwise they would all have met their end that night. In weakness, Damon leant against the large trunk, resting his head against the bark and closing his eyes. If it he didn't get blood soon, he wouldn't last very long. His breathing was ragged and heavy, he had to muster the final bits of strength he had to push himself off of the tree and then he was stumbling. Stumbling to cross the wide street that led out of Virginia.

He heard the car coming in the distance. He thought it could have been miles away as he entered the middle parting of the road. His senses must have been weakened at the lack of what he craved as he found himself waking up to the sound of a car alarm, burning his ears as the sound repeated itself over and over. He turned his head on the cold tar and saw that the car he had heard had ran straight into the ditch, the back window smashed at the obvious hard break. He was on the ground, the car must have hit him but he couldn't remember the collision. He didn't see the driver but heard the scream. It was a woman, he knew that for certain.

For the first time since Stefan and Elena had locked him in the basement, Damon felt himself slipping into unconsciousness. From the blow of the car that normally wouldn't even cause a scratch to the vampire and the lack of blood, he freely let himself follow into the darkness of the deep sleep. The last thing he heard was the door of the car opening, a foot hitting the mud under the car.

Turns out it was Elena. She had decided for a late night drive, knowing that she wouldn't sleep until the next morning. She wanted to go to the state line, it was her father's favourite place. He took her there when she was younger every so often and it amazed her that if she stepped in between the two signs, she was in two states at once. She had left a note for Jeremy on his return from the Grill and left. The echo of her scream when she collided with the dark figure pierced in her eyes. She swerved violently, avoiding the tree that Damon had been leaning on and only managing to smash her car window as she braked hard not to fly into the field. While whoever she hit was lying motionless in the road, she was gasping in shock, her heart almost beating out of her chest as she gripped the steering wheel tightly, so tight that her knuckles were turning white. She seemed too prone to car accidents. The night her parents died flashed in her mind and it took her a few minutes to register what had happened.

Elena left the engine running, seeing no other damage than a smashed window and opened the door fiercely. She looked into the road and felt her breath catch in her throat. Without another second passing, she had ran to the figure, not caring if a passing car came past and hit her also.

"Damon!" his name left her lips in a scream. She fell to her knees at his side and shook his arm lightly. The colour of his skin alerted her of his lack of sustenance, his lack of movement alarmed her. He wasn't breathing but did he ever breathe? Stefan rarely did but he was walking around freely. "Damon, wake up! Come on,"

She couldn't call for help. Who would she call? Stefan? She attempted to help him sit up but he was too heavy for her small frame. He was bigger than Stefan, in muscles and in weight. He was withering away in front of her and there was nothing she could do.

"Damon," she said lightly hoping he could hear her as she ripped the vervain from around her neck. She had no idea why she had done it. Her hand was around the chain in seconds and it was in her hand the next. She looked down at it and then noticed the nail marks in her hand. She had left so much pressure on the wheel of the car that she had managed to highlight the veins in her arm.

She bit down as hard as she could into her flesh, wincing at the pain that shot up her arm. She had pierced her skin, a red stream was pooling down her arm as she lifted his head to meet her wrist.

"Damon, I know you can hear me, drink!" she said, her voice cracking in the fear of losing him. He was still. She looked at his face and saw no movement in his lips. Was she too late?

"Damon!"

**So do you hate me for leaving it there? I hope this was long enough, I know the last chapter was really short but that's only cause I had no idea where I wanted to take it since I only planned this as a one shot but you guys were so sweet to want more. I figured the less babble the better. Now that I've thought about it, I have the next few chapters planned. Concerning Stefan, he may end up with Caroline *shifty eyes*. (: Keep your reviews coming, the more I get the faster the updates come, hopefully…. xD**


	4. Chapter 4

His head was pounding, spinning in circles that made him feel nauseous as he felt himself awake from his slumber. He had no memory of falling asleep. He had no memory of anything he had done the last few days. Maybe it was the best that he didn't, the way he was feeling it felt like a truck had hit him repeatedly. His eyes protested to open, to adjust the stream of light that was shining bright upon his face. With his blue orbs hidden, he rang his tongue across his lips, finding them dry and chapped but with a sweet taste. It was blood, he could tell by the coppery tang that he was used to but it tasted different. It was sweet, almost like candy and no comparison to what he had drank before.

Panic rushed through him as he bolted up right, his eyes dazed as they darted around the surroundings to find himself in his bedroom back at the boarding house. Who had he killed? Normally he would remember, he had a good memory of the girls he had bitten but nothing was coming to him. His hand flew to his forehead as he felt dizziness sweep over him, the sunlight blinding him. His raven locks were stuck to his face so he swept them back from his face, his eyes landing on the blood bag that was on the side table. He frowned in confusion. It had been cut open. Not bitten into like himself or Caroline would achieve the red fluid but cut, with scissors.

A small breath beckoned from the corner of the room, a leather couch sat beside a bookshelf where his mother's books made home. The petite frame of Elena was curled under a blanket, two blood bags sat on the floor at her feet and a book had fallen open at where she had dozed off. His eyes returned to her face, so peaceful yet she was frowning also, he could hear her gritting her teeth together. He moved slowly in the bed, pushing the sheets from himself to find himself fully dressed, minus his shoes. He was disgusting. Mud caked his black jeans and his shirt was unbuttoned, a rip in the left arm.

Had she done this for him? Got him from a binge at the Grill and stayed with him? It was then he caught sight of the puncture marks on her wrist, the skin blue and black around it from his grip. He had bitten Elena. Hard, she was shivering from the loss of blood from her system, he could see the thin fabric of the blanket moving above her and it alarmed him more than anything had in his life and afterlife. It was then that he remembered everything. Her car crashing into him, passing out, hearing her screams, practically draining her of blood. Guilt seized his body and if his heart were beating, it would of stopped at the realization he had nearly killed her.

Without releasing, he was getting up. It was as if gravity were pulling him over to her, to make sure she was okay. To care for her, even if he couldn't admit to wanting to, couldn't believe she wanted to be cared for by him. With what strength he had, he knelt in front of her, closing the book but marking the page for her. He moved the blood bags and moved the blanket so it covered her completely. He noticed her converse and a bag at the side of the couch, how long had he been out? Moving to her side once more, he watched as she curled into the blanket further, a content sigh leaving her lips. He couldn't help but smile gently at the sight in front of her but it faded immediately as he saw her wrist once more.

Just like the first night he had met her, he ran his hand gently across her cheek, moving it across her jaw and then to her wrist. She was cold. Freezing almost in that one spot but it was healing. He could see it wasn't as bad as it should have been. He heard a slam from the basement and his head turned sharply in defence. Stefan wouldn't be in the house, Elena wouldn't of been here if he had been.

"Jeremy," he muttered slightly to himself as he rose to his feet, letting himself gaze at Elena once more before turning to make his way to the basement. Descending the stairs, he noticed the door was firmly closed. He walked over and pulled the handle, it was locked. If it wasn't Jeremy, who was it? Carefully he walked down the stone steps and straight away he felt himself rolling his eyes at the sight of the girl in front of him. "Blondie, what are you doing?"

Caroline removed her lips from the plastic, wiping the blood from the corner of her lips before responding. She was sat on top of the fridge, her legs crossed and her boots clicking against the side of the container. "Well, I'm drinking. Unless Elena hit you really hard you can't tell."

"What are you doing here?" he rephrased, emphasizing on the last word of his sentence as he leant against the cold stone of the building, more to support himself than try to come across as his usually calm self. Caroline shook her head, her blonde curls moving across her front. Seeing his fatigue, she passed the bag to Damon before crossing her arms over her chest.

"Elena called me from the state line two nights ago. She was freaking out about you dying or something and that she hit you with her car. I thought you were just being you and playing with her but she was crying. So I drove out there, stopped you from killing her by sucking her dry then brought you back here. You're not the lightest person, you know that? You should probably lay off the food." She said, her normal spunky self still there. Draining the bag, he looked up at her, playing with the edge in interest.

"She was crying?" he asked stupidly, making Caroline scoff.

"Of course she was. Damon, the grim reaper was basically at your side with her. You were grey and you weren't breathing, she was scared. She cares about you, what else would she do?" she said firmly. "She hasn't moved form that couch unless it were to go to the bathroom or get you more blood."

He stared at her for a second, taking in the information. His eyes found the floor as she raised an eyebrow in wonder. The questions were going to flood in now, he could feel them rising in her throat and he prepared himself. When female vampire spoke however, he got a shock at what she said.

"She spoke to Stefan. She told him everything and sure, he's devastated but he's come to terms with it, or so he says. He was here yesterday, trying to wake you up. Any pain Elena feels, he feels it too and he knows she's worried about you. She thought you were going to wake up until you finally bit her."

"Why did she let me do that?" he interrupted suddenly, the anger evident in his eyes as he found hers once more. "How is she still breathing? I was starved for a reason, I could have killed her."

"I gave her my blood. She's just recovering now. She refused it for a day until Stefan forced her so she's still weak. She didn't want you too die Damon, doesn't that say something or are you too stupid to let it sink in to your thick skull? You'd think you'd understand. She would rather die than let you!" he saw she was frustrated with him. He was stubborn, he knew that but he could never let himself believe that someone had chosen him over his saintly brother.

"Help me move her, that couch isn't comfortable." He dropped the subject quicker than it had been brought up. He looked at her, making her move from her position on the fridge and soon following him back to his bedroom. He attempted to help Caroline change the sheets, the mud from his body haven sunken into the white material before moving Elena, replacing her in the spot he vacated no longer than ten minutes ago.

"You'd be cute together,"

"Shut up Blondie," he said moving the sheet over Elena, watching her turn on her side, deep in slumber.

* * *

Caroline was perched upon the edge of the arm chair next to the fire place, her eyes locked on the grand piano in the corner of the room, hidden by the darkness that encased it. "Damon," she said simply, not moving her eyes from the instrument, hoping he'd answer.

"Blondie," he replied flatly, pouring more scotch into the one remaining tumbler that was left on the table. "By the way, what happened to my glasses?" he asked placing the lid back on the bottle.

"Like I said, you weren't easy to get up to your bedroom. You fell into the table and broke them," she told him, making him shrug in the process at the thought, downing the golden liquid in one go. "Anyway, why do you have that piano if you can't play? Stefan can't either."

"Who says I can't play?" he asked moving to sit back on the couch in his usual spot. He placed the tumbler on the coffee table in front of him and watched Caroline as she frowned. "My father taught me,"

She turned then at his comment. His father, who hated him supposedly had taught him to play the piano. She figured it must have been before his mother died, before his father became bitter. Elena had told her everything, obviously. "But your father didn't like you. That's why you're such a sadistic bastard, right?"

"Thanks, that makes me feel so much better in my time of need." His tone was flat, no emotion in his reply as she glared at him, wanting him to continue. "My father taught me when I was 6, it was the one thing we'd do together that wouldn't lead to him giving up on me. You'd be surprised at how good I am," he said smugly, smirking at her.

"Why have you not played then? I've known you how long now?"

"Too long," he said standing up again, walking slowly over to the piano. It was exact replica of his fathers, he could make people believe it was his if he wanted to. He ran his hand over the wooden top, dust forming on his fingers. "It brings back bad memories, Blondie, I only keep it for the period look,"

"You could be so nice Damon, you were sweet at one point when you were with me. You're sweet around Elena, you could have friends." She was quiet as she finished her sentence. A human couldn't hear her but he did, even if on the other side of the room.

"I don't need friends Caroline, well apart from your mom," he said sitting on the stool and facing her. "I don't need Elena, I don't need you, obviously. I don't need Stefan. I don't need anyone to survive. I've managed it long enough. Haven't I?

"I could say otherwise," she added quickly. "If Elena wasn't here the last few days, you would of withered away into nothing."

He was silenced. She was right. Blondie was right and he hated to admit that fact. She was talking but he wasn't listening. He was lost in thought of the picture that he could make of him and Elena in the future. If he opened up to her fully like he had to Katherine. Like he had to random woman at some point.

"Elena doesn't have it as easy as you think she does, Damon. Her life may be even more complicated than yours even if that's hard for you too believe. Her parents died, she almost died with them. Her best friends are a witch and a vampire. Her mother is a vampire and her dad is quite frankly a dick. She hates John, she hates Isobel. Elena might just need as much care as you. Maybe more and if anyone in the world could give it to her, its you cause you know what it feels like. She loved Stefan at one point, yes but her heart has changed its mind. She can't control who she loves and neither can you. I can see it when you look at her. You love her and you want her to love you back so much, just break down those walls. Being a vampire isn't holding you back. It hasn't held me back."

His ears came back to reality during her speech about Elena. She was right again. He had been a dick to her, thinking his life was the worst thing ever to hit planet earth. His life must seem like a piece of cake to her but he knew she lived with the guilt of her parent's death everyday of her life.

"Call me when she wakes up." He wasn't aware of her leaving. He didn't remotely care that she had left. It hadn't been much of a joy that she was there in the first place. He jumped as she slammed the door, his eyes darting to where she was before then up towards the roof.

"Stupid Caroline," he mumbled to himself with many other words after as he moved round in the stool in front of the piano. He looked at the old thing and saw his father's name engraved in the one piece he had managed to save from before it was wrecked. He sighed blowing the dust from the area before standing up, heading towards the stairs and moving slowly as he returned to his bedroom. Pushing the door open, grimacing at the small creak it gave off, he looked around, almost timidly at Elena lying in his bed, sound asleep. He smiled, a crooked one but a smile all the same as he closed the door behind him, walking to the en suite bathroom, stopping for fresh clothes. Figuring she was fast asleep he removed his shirt at his dresser, propping it over the back of a chair to throw out once he had cleaned himself up. That was when he heard her mumble, turn in the bed and let out a small yawn.

"What? Why am I in your bed?" her voice was tired as if it had a delayed reaction to her wakening.

"I know for a fact that the couch over there isn't the bed place for a sleep." He said turning to look at her, seeing her eyes widen slightly at the sight of him, his bare torso more so. He chuckled to himself quietly seeing her eyes move to the sheets, her fingers playing with the material awkwardly.

"Are you okay?" she asked, not looking up at him as she moved out of the bed.

"Fine and dandy," he said turning back to the dresser, pulling out a black t-shirt and placing it over his shoulder. "Thanks for hitting me with your car, it felt awesome."

"Damon.."

Her tone gave him the warning he probably needed. Since his talk with Caroline, he had placed his walls up further and didn't intend on bringing them down. His body shifted and he was sitting next to her on the bed in a flash, quicker than she expected. "I'm okay, thanks to you. But I have a question?"

Her eyes found his and she knew what was coming. "What were you thinking making me bite you?"

She found herself unable to form a sentence or even a word. Elena gulped in attempt to push her nerves down, she was scared at that moment. She knew he wouldn't be happy when he found out. He was waiting, his blue eyes penetrating hers with such intensity that it made her melt inside. "It was the only way to save you,"

He blinked, his long lashes hitting his cheek as he moved his head to turn to the look at the door. She waited patiently for his reply but he simply stood up, walking to the bathroom and going inside, nothing more said.

Elena sat, watching the door in a hope that it would open again and he would say something but it didn't. She heard the shower start and knew he would be silent for the rest of the night. Sighing, she felt her strength suddenly emerge, Caroline's blood obviously in her system so she stood, placed her shoes on and grabbed her bag. There wasn't much of a point hanging around, he was Damon, and he would make her wait a lifetime if he wanted to.

"Bye Damon," she said knowing he'd hear her from the shower. Her hand was on the golden knob, prepared to turn it as she heard the door open. She turned and saw Damon standing right in front of her, only clad in his boxers now. She looked up at him, his height getting the best of her and found his lips against hers. This time however, it wasn't urgent, it wasn't frenzied. It was soft, gentle and full of love, so much love that she felt dizzy, and a good dizzy not like she had felt before.

His hands were placed on her waist, his lips moving slowly across hers, applying the correct pressure to prove how he felt. She was kissing back for only a second when he pulled away, his voice low as he spoke. "Goodbye Elena," he whispered, his lips grazing hers as they moved as he stepped back. Her hand found his wrist and she looked back at him, her eyes dazzling with what had just happened.

"We need to talk about this Damon." She told, pulling him back to her, finding to protest as he stepped in front of her once more, his skin tingling at her touch. "I want to know you. Let me understand. Just a little bit."

He thought for a second, his eyes on her hand. With his other hand, he moved it, placing it at her side, managing to pry her off with ease. "Come back tomorrow," he said, his hand moving slowly from her arm as he turned, returning to the bathroom and the steaming water that was now erupting from the shower. As he closed the door, she opened his bedroom one and left, returning home and wondering what he was going to admit.

* * *

**Well there's that, this chapter was written three times. Originally it was Katherine who was supposed to help Elena but I changed my mind. Elena and Damon are not a couple! yet... but I am looking forward to the next chapter since Damon will open up. Thank you guys for all your reviews and hi to any new readers! Click the review button and let me know what you think! **


	5. Chapter 5

Damon was bored and that was never a good thing. If he hated something more than anything else, it was being bored. He couldn't do anything about it either. Elena was at school. This talk wasn't going to come any faster.

He was sitting at the piano, a bottle of scotch resting on top. He had an hour to kill until Elena was supposed to get there; alcohol was always a good thing to pass the time, in his eyes. He sighed, resting his elbow on the key, jumping at the sound it made a second later. It was still in tune, amazingly. He hadn't played it in years; maybe Zach had tuned it or gotten someone to. It wasn't long before he found himself tapping the keys lightly in a sequence he had remembered.

He knew it would surprise people to know that he could play such an instrument. He always had this allure to him, a bad boy one, kind of useless apart from being a dick. He was no master but it kept alive the one thing his father might have been proud of.

"You play?" her voice startled him and he slammed his hand down on the keys, a harsh noise erupting from the piece. Elena's heart stopped for a second in fright that she had caused, her hand gripping her chest as he turned and looked at her.

"Gilbert, your gonna kill me. Again," he said taking a breath to calm him as he closed the wooden top of the piano that guarded the keys.

"Sorry" Elena couldn't help but giggle. She had managed to scare Damon, the guy with the enhanced hearing? She laughed more so as he looked at her, curiosity and confusion written in his features.

"Care to enlighten me?" he asked standing up, grabbing the scotch bottle and placing it back on the wooden table where the rest of his liquor sat.

"No, It's nothing" her voice was amused but he simply shook his head moving to sit on the large couch in front of the fire place that was burning like usual. Elena followed but chose to sit on the armchair in the corner of the small space that was available. "How are you feeling?" she started, placing her school bag on the floor next to the arm of the chair.

"Elena can we skip the how are you's and just get on with what you want to talk about," Damon replied fiercely. Elena looked down at her hands knowing he was doing this on purpose. The previous evening was a fluke; he had been weak and not himself when he had agreed to talk to her. She had no clue and felt stupid for doing so.

"Damon, we've kissed twice and it's meant something. You can't deny it cause I felt it and I know you did too. I told you I loved you and you won't believe it and I can see why but it's the truth. Something inside of me knows that you love me back. I've had dreams that you've said it but" she paused, the stupidity of her dreams catching up with her. "Its not real, is it?"

Damon had his eyes fixed on the burning flames, a slow breath escaping his lips. "Its real. You're remembering." He muttered quietly, the fire reflecting in his icy blue eyes.

"Remembering?" she wondered. Caroline's blood may of bought back things a little more clearer but she still had no recollection of the compelling. No recollection of the single tear that fell from his cheek as he told her.

"Remembering that night. The night I compelled you too forget me saying it,"

Her eyes flew up from looking at her hands. He had compelled her? She looked at him, unmoving, silent and moved to the couch, sitting next to him and placing a hand on his arm in attempt to grasp his attention. "Damon" she said lightly but he continued to stare forward, the flames dancing in his eyes.

"I had to do it. Its selfish for me to feel how I feel about you, especially with Stefan in the picture. You were happy. He was happy. I could live with misery, I have been most of my life." He said quietly, his voice barely louder than a whisper.

"You don't need to feel that misery, Damon." Her voice matched his and he turned to her, surprising her as his eyes were fully of vulnerability.

"But I do Elena. Every since my mother died misery has followed me like a lovesick puppy. A black cloud has been hovering over my head waiting for something to cause me the slightest bit of happiness and then it washes it away. It'll go to Stefan or my dad will hate it or its Katherine in general. It doesn't matter. If I'm ever happy, genuinely, its rare."

Elena looked at him and sighed softly, wishing he would see things more positively. She decided to change the subject entirely; maybe if she approached from a different angle it would help. Hopefully. "Stefan told me you were in the army and you left?"

He frowned at why she would ask a question like that out of the blue. He nodded slowly. "Yeah, I was, another reason why my dad hated me." He said quietly. He could remember the day vividly of his return, his father's face when he told him he had left.

"Why'd you leave?" she asked, curious as she crossed her legs, sitting back on the material, a cushion resting against her stomach now.

He was quiet for a moment. As if he had to think of the answer. "I told my dad that I left because it wasn't for me. You could do that, just leave as long as you gave notice. That wasn't the real reason though. It was before things got really bad, I was patrolling with a few other guys, same age as me, some younger. I was shot. The bullet narrowly missed my lung and I was hospitalized for weeks. I couldn't breathe and we didn't have anything like we have today, I was in so much pain that I hoped I wouldn't wake up the next morning. I finally recovered and they said I was no use. Even now, I still have the scar. If my dad had found out I was shot, he would of laughed in my face. I told Stefan and I made him swear not to tell."

Elena's face was softer in expression as he explained. The more he told her about his father made her realize how neglected he had been as a child, as a human in general. "And it never healed? The scar.'

He shook his head, moving his hair out of his face and leaning back against the couch, his arm behind his head. "No, it's just an ugly reminder of how pathetic I am,"

"Damon.'

"No, don't try to make me change my mind. I know that's why you here and its not going to work." He said staring up at the high ceiling, his expression dead.

"I'm serious, Damon. You're not pathetic. You're dad was. You practically raised Stefan from what you've told me. You cared so much about your mother that you cared for her. You fought for your country and you lived to tell the tale even though you were shot. What did he do? Did he sit in his study and complain at Stefan about what to do with his life? Did he order people around? Yes. What did you do? You tried to break free of that. You've strived not to become him and even though you think you are, you're not. You care, Damon. You care so much unlike he did. If your mother was here now, she'd be so proud to call you a son, anyone would." She was perched against his side, her eyes flowing with truth as he turned his head to her. She saw the moisture filling his eyes, the bright blue orbs becoming cloudy.

"My mother would of loved you.' He said his eyes staring into hers, reaching into her for any source of comfort.

"My mom would have hated you," she retorted with a gentle smile on her lips. He couldn't help but laugh at the comment; most mothers would have hated him. The vampire him anyway. "What was your mom like?"

She saw his eye slight up at the mention of his mother. He was a total mommies boy, she could tell.

"She was the best mom you could ever ask for. She was loving and really funny. She would tuck me into bed at night and tell me a story about how she met my father and it would be the funniest thing they done together, no matter how regal they seemed. She wasn't a normal women for back then, she would play with me, in the mud, toss a ball around with me. The things my dad never did, she did it for him. She was a horrible cook though, a bit like you in that factor, probably the reason we hired a cook," he said with a smile at the memory, a single tear falling onto his cheek. Instinctively, her hand was against his skin, the pad of her thumb moving the tear away. Her skin felt warm against his, soothing. She was stroking his cheek now and he didn't move his head to stop her.

"She sounds amazing, Damon. I'm sure she was and I will ignore the dig at my cooking skills." Elena said quietly, smiling at him slightly but in a reassuring manner. His eyes were matching hers, and then they were down at her lips. She couldn't help but follow his eyes, their heads moving closer together until their lips were together, her thumb still grazing his cheek gently. It was a small kiss, gentle, somewhat telling him she was there. Cautiously, she pressed the slightest bit more pressure to his lips, hoping he'd follow suit. When he did return it, a small smile graced against his lips, his hand moving gently to the back of her neck, cradling her head gently so her lips never left his.

He pushed her down against the comfort of the cushions, his weight resting gently against her, aware of hurting her. Her hand moved from the side of his cheek, joining her other hand around his neck as she felt herself laying against the arm of the couch. For the first time, Damon felt the sparks that he had hoped he would when he kissed her. The sparks he thought he had felt when he had mistaken her for Katherine.

Their lips parted, the tips of her fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. He looked down at her, a hand resting on her hip, stroking the skin that was on show as her shirt lifted slightly.

"You deserve to be loved Damon and I hope that one day, you'll let me in enough to see how much I do love you. Until then, I'm your friend. You're best friend if you like it or not. You can tell me anything and I won't judge you. I'll wait until you're ready, even if it never comes."

"You could be waiting forever" he whispered looking down at her, his tongue running across his top lip, the taste of her kiss still lingering.

"Then I'll wait," she said, nodding slightly. "I'm very patient when I want to be."

He smiled crookedly, gazing at her features with awe at her beauty. His lips descended on hers once more but only for a peck before he placed a kiss on her cheek, the tip of his nose running across her skin before he was nuzzled in her neck, her hair tickling the side of his face. Her arms wrapped around his broad shoulders, thinking she was just a step closer to him letting down the walls of his life completely.

* * *

The time had flown in front of both of their eyes. The night being filled with laughter, some tears and insane amounts of stories being told, both ways. Damon felt at ease for once in his life telling stories about his past. He felt at ease in her arms, feeling her touch him in the loving way she did. Eventually they had dozed off, Damon's arms draped around Elena as she rested against his side, warmth radiating from the dwindling fireplace. Damon slept as if he hadn't slept in days, which was technically true. Elena awoke before he did an was able to slip from his grip without causing him to stir, realizing that she had promised to meet Jenna at the Grill. It was date night, for Jenna and Jeremy anyway, Jenna agreed to meet Alaric after he was finished grading last minute papers and Jeremy was with Bonnie, someone needed Elena's car and it was useless at the Salvatore boarding house.

She retrieved her bag from the opposite couch and looked down at the sleeping vampire, calm and relaxed with his position on the couch, his hand holding his head up against the arm of the piece of furniture. She couldn't help but smile gently at the sight of him asleep, especially after their talk. It made her see that the human he was craving was still inside of him, just hidden, waiting to come back to life. The sound of the fire crackling alerted her that she needed to return to reality and she made her way to the door. Sneaking out of the Salvatore house, she got into car, the back window repaired thanks to an old friend at the garage downtown.

Within 10 minutes, she found herself parking outside of the local hang out of Mystic Falls. Something was off. She stepped out of the car and noticed Alaric in the corner of the parking lot, grading final papers while sat in his car. She shook her head at his dedication to the school even though it was a Friday evening. He was to entranced in the writing of students that he didn't notice her wave as she passed, opening the door to find Jenna sat at the bar, a young woman, no older than Elena herself, sat next to her, nursing a cup of coffee.

Elena had no idea who this woman was, she hadn't seen her before and Mystic Falls was a small place, everyone knew everyone, even if nobody knew everybody's secrets.

"Aunt Jenna?" she said cautiously as she approached the bar, taking a seat next to her Aunt, noticing the glass of wine in her hand immediately. She was drunk or at least tipsy. Jenna was known for having a glass of wine but there was something different about her, she was overly happy. At least for her.

"Elena! You're early," she said with a smile, looking at her niece in delight. In reality, Elena was an hour late but she failed to mention that. Her eyes were on the woman next to them next however, she looked familiar with her long brown hair and dark brown eyes but she couldn't place it.

"Yeah, we finished early," she told her aunt knowing she couldn't tell she was lying. "Alaric's outside, he's marking papers in his car."

"I'm sure he won't be long," she said, her attention being drawn to the mystery guest as she raised the coffee cup to her lips. "Oh, Elena this is Aria, she's new in town, she's studying the history of the state,"

"Hi Elena, your aunt has told me so much about you," her smile was genuine but there was something sinister hidden underneath. Elena kept it in the back of her mind as she shook the outstretched hand, her ring catching her eye immediately. It was identical to Elijah's; the only difference was that it was smaller. Was she a vampire or was this a freakish coincidence? Elena had her doubts but would have to wait for Jenna to leave. As if Alaric heard her thoughts, he walked into the door minutes later, a chuckle escaping his lips as he saw Jenna. Within a small period of time, Elena was alone with Aria, the stranger who was suddenly very friendly with her aunt.

"Where'd you get that ring?" Elena asked simply, asking for a coffee for herself from the bartender, Shirley, who was working nights. In the corner of her eye, Elena saw the smirk flow onto the woman's face.

"Klaus," she said quietly as a second cup of steaming coffee was placed in front of Elena. "Well, technically some witch gave it to Klaus who gave it to me. It's a nifty little thing you know" It was then that Aria's accent attracted Elena's attention. She was English, much more pronounced than Rose ever was. "I'm a vampire yes, well done," she said, her tone hushed.

"How do you know Klaus?" Elena asked timidly. If Klaus had sent her, that meant he wasn't far behind and that scared her. Damon had just finally opened up to her and she felt progress and it was about to tumble into destruction with the appearance of the original they all feared, as much as Damon wouldn't show it.

"You could say he's sort of a father figure to me." She told, running the tip of her finger around the white rim of the mug, causing a quiet ringing sound.

"A father?" Elena asked knowing that vampire's couldn't procreate. How could she be his daughter?"

"Well not literally. You see he found me by mistake. Originally he was looking for this girl, he had done for a long time but she was slippery. She managed to slip through his fingers whenever she was close to him. Then she done something that made him really angry and he went to her house, killed her parents, killed the servants in the house and then he saw me," Elena froze, this story sounded all to similar to what Katherine told her in the tomb.

"I was about a month old. My mother had been a disgrace to the family, having me out of wedlock. Back in those days that was strictly forbidden. Speaking of my mother, you might know her. Katherine Pierce?"

"You're Katherine's daughter?" she asked, her voice breaking and quiet as the pieces fell together. Katherine said nothing about finding the body of her daughter at the site of the destruction that Klaus had caused. "But how are you still alive? Klaus killed you."

"I'm getting there. It's defiantly the good part. You see, Klaus knew that Katherine loved her daughter. He heard her cries when her father wouldn't let her hold me. So, Klaus raised me. Until I was old enough to bare a child. I was 18 when he compelled a man from Germany to love me, get me pregnant then take the baby to carry on the Petrova bloodline and then forget me. My son was born, taken away and then Klaus turned me. He knew if he found Katherine again when a new doppelganger appeared, he would dangle me in front of her to get information." Her voice ran into nothing as she told the end of her story. Elena frowned. Why was she telling her this? If she worked for Klaus, she should have captured her by now, just like Rose had when Elijah had first appeared.

"Why are you telling me this? Why don't you just take me?" Elena wondered causing a laugh to come from Aria. This confused her, she was laughing?

"Elena why would I take you? You're my family and I don't have many people like that left. Katherine doesn't even know I'm alive. She thinks I'm dead and I'd have anything for her to know me. I'm here to warn you. Klaus is moving, he wants you dead to break the spell and he won't stop until its happened. You have no idea how hard it was to sneak away from him to come here. I'm a good guy but you need to do something for me." She told, her eyes penetrating hers with truth. Elena thought she was compelling her but she remembered the Damon giving her a small ring with vervain in it, something bonnie had made just to be safe.

"What?"

"Take me to Damon Salvatore. I need to talk to him"

* * *

**Sooooo originally Aria was going to get her own story all together with Damon and Elena mixed in but I couldn't quite grasp the storyline so I figured I'd haul her in here. She is gonna cause some drama, especially with Damon since they are pretty alike personality wise but nothing to do with Delena don't you worry your little socks off. Press that little review button, I've noticed you guys are dwindling away, its not the most reassuring thing ):**


	6. Author's Note

On a scale of one to ten, how much would you kill me if I said I was giving this fic up? If its ten, then I'm dead right? Its true, I don't know if its cause you guys are dropping like flies or I just suck but I don't think I'll keep this going. Thank you for all the reviews on the chapters that were posted. I don't want to bore you guys to death by updating and you not enjoying it. I had fun, it was good to get back to writing. I might see you guys again if I have another idea but for now. Toodles!

Lo / Michalkas.


	7. Chapter 6

"Elena, I need to see Damon. He knows where Katherine is, I know he does and he's a lot stronger than his brother. He could be your only lifeline when Klaus comes and he's coming. If you grow too attached to Damon, it could lead you into more misery than you need." Aria explained, her eyes piercing Elena's in a serious stare.

Elena shook her head. "No, you can't see Damon. He's not stable, if you turn up there's a risk of him running again. If he's as strong as you think he is, he needs to stay in one place." She was defending him, worried that he would run off again and cause more damage to himself than he had days previous.

"Damon is a strong link in this. He knows things about Katherine that he won't tell you. Plus he's a good manipulator," she said, her smirk rising upon her lips once more.

"I'm not taking you." She was putting her foot down. If anything, Damon needed to get over the last few days in peace and Aria would not help that. "I know you won't go on your own either because he wont talk unless I'm there to prove your innocent and not wanting to rip your heart out, which he will do to you without thinking. He's done it before."

Aria let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine but the longer you take to let me see him, the closer Klaus gets and he's not coming alone, Elena."

"I'll believe that when I see it, Aria" Elena waved slightly to the bartender as she harshly got up, stepping away from the bar and exiting the grill. She felt Aria's gaze burning into her back. She made her way across the parking lot, finding her car and stepping into the warmth. With a swift movement, she had the car started and was driving along the dark roads of Mystic Falls to get home.

If she were a vampire, she would have heard it. Smelled his presence. He chuckled darkly watching her car speed along the roads from a distance, a smaller figure at his side on the hills on the outskirts of the city.

* * *

"You seem happier." Stefan commented as he sat himself down on the couch opposite Damon, watching his brother as he drank from his scotch glass.

"Well done little brother, gold star on your sticker chart," Damon replied sarcastically, Stefan rolling his eyes as he sat back against the material, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "Oh don't start with that look."

"What look?" he replied simply.

"The 'you suck Damon, I hate you' look," he informed as he stood up, walking towards the table resting behind the pieces of furniture and placing the glass down in its rightful place. "Its not very attractive, frowning gives you wrinkles you know,"

Stefan watched as his brother retrieved his leather jacket from the back of the chair in the corner. He swung it over his shoulder without a care in the world and walked out of the boarding house like nothing had happened a few hours ago with Elena. Stefan knew they had worked something out, he heard the tail end of their conversation. Their kiss. Everything. If his heart could break any more, it would have been in small shatters on the ground.

* * *

"Bourbon, give me the bottle." Damon told the bartender, compelling her in a second as if it were second nature. He lounged into his usual bar stool, leaning his leather-clad elbows against the cool wood of the bar. It wasn't long before he noticed her out of the corner of his eye. She was a few stools down and sipping an amber liquid herself. He was still Damon after all, so he moved down to sit next to her, smiling in that charming way he had down to a key.

"Such a pretty girl, such a harsh drink,' he commented smoothly. He had no idea she was a vampire. Something about her came off as positively human. Unlike Elena, he failed to notice the ring placed on her finger, for all he knew and cared, it was the latest trend coming out of Forever 21. He never took notice at Elijah's ring anyway. Aria's face turned to him and smiled, showing her teeth. She watched as Damon's face dropping as he witnessed her fangs falling from her gums. Nobody was around. He never knew it was possible to inflict the vampire composure without highlighting the veins that burdened their appearance. Somehow, she managed it.

"You must be Damon." She said, her tone matching his, taking him by surprise. Usually, girls would be jittery around him, nervous of the attitude he inflicted, and this time it was the other way around. "You have the most perfect timing. Elena wouldn't take me to you. She just left.'

"Who are you?" he asked, ignoring her comment completely even though the first thing that popped into his head was if she had hurt Elena.

"Ariana but please call me Aria," she said with a trademark smile, the only difference from the previous one, her fangs had vanished without notice. Her hand was outstretched to him, waiting for his to take the empty space between their skin.

"Ariana who?" he asked, shrugging her hand away from his side with a swift push of his.

"Ariana," she paused, letting him down the first glass of bourbon and filling a second before continuing. "Ariana Katerina Petrova"

He was choking on the fiery liquid, feeling it burn in his throat as it slid down. She laughed simply, letting him find the air in his lungs and preparing for a fight. He was silent for a moment before grabbing her arm and leading her out of the Grill, into the alley where he had managed to kill many before. This time, it was his face that had the vampire composure, his sharp canines shown and his eyes dark.

"What's your real name?" he scowled, pushing her against the stone wall of the back of the building.

"Ow, that hurt. Please do not do that again." She avoided his question as he had her statements inside, her voice dry and bland, no sign of emotion in her. His hand was tightly wrapped around her throat, something that would pain an average human, an average vampire at that but she could breathe easily. She could still operate in such power that the roles were reversed within seconds, Damon against the opposite wall, his face going blue with the lack of air. Her hands were bony, she was thin, if someone had seen her in the street, you would find it hard to imagine her snapping even the smallest twig. Damon was a twig to her, a twig she stepped on in the woods that simply cracked into pieces. "Do you really think that's a good idea Damon? You're a child in my eyes. You realize how old I am? how much stronger I am compared to you?"

He tried everything in his power to push her off him but she was overwhelmingly strong. She looked no older than Elena.

"Are you going to behave? Or will I have to bring out the vervain?" She saw the slight nod and smiled sweetly, dropping him to the floor, letting him thud against the concrete. He struggled to catch his breath, heaving coughs falling from his chest. He felt physically sick, her consticting grip still burning into his skin but he got up, onto his own two feet again, she was leaning calmly against the wall he had her against moments ago. "You really are weak."

"Who are you?" he asked, his voice hoarse from the power over her grip against his throat.

She sighed loudly, almost dramatically. "Ariana, Aria. Katerina. Petrova" she was mockingly slow in letting her words out. "Do I need to spell that out? Or did your daddy give you enough education to be able to figure that out on your own?"

He chuckled, pointing at her as he gained his composure. "Cocky, I like you"

"You shouldn't. Not yet," He stared at her, gazing over her features in the way she was doing to him also. He was surprised he was still alive with her around but then again, she would have killed him by now if she had wanted to.

"How can you be a Petrova? Katherine's a vampire, we can't procreate." Damon had no idea of Katherine's history before she had been turned. No idea about the child she conceived.

"You can before you're turned though. You know, when a girl loves a guy and all that," she told, smiling still. Her smile was too at ease, it was sending Damon insane. "Katherine had a baby, which would be me, out of wedlock. Shocking, I know but I'm not going into the story again. Ask Elena, she'll fill you in,"

"You've met Elena?" The venom was dripping off his words. You could see the protectiveness in his eyes at the mention of Elena. "What did you do to her?" his voice was louder now, Aria simply standing there in silence. "Answer!"

"Nothing, my gosh, a simple girl like me harming a relative? Never" she said sarcastically but as she saw him step forward to lunge once more, her hand flew in front of him, colliding with his chest and pushing his back against the wall again, a loud growl forming in the back of his throat. "I didn't touch her, okay? She went home after being so protective of you that it made me gag. She is safe there if you remember not being able to get in the first time you met her. Voodoo charm that we have against us that makes it impossible to enter a human's house."

He ran a hand through his raven locks, a sign of frustration. "Aria, what do you want with us? Why are you in Mystic Falls?"

"Klaus is my father, kind of. I know what he's doing and when he's going to do it."

Damon's blood ran cold. He felt a shiver run down his spine at the very mention of the name Klaus. He hated that man for wanting Elena dead and he hadn't even met him yet, he didn't even know what he looked like. "Follow me," he demanded of Aria, walking calmly out of the back alley way and towards the edge of the centre of town, a large group of trees in the distance leading to the boarding house. He waited a few feet in for her to catch up.

"As creepy as it sounds, I don't need to follow you. I know where you live." With that she darted off, a simple blur left behind her. Damon followed suit, speeding off to the boarding house after making sure no human's were in sight. Within moments, he was at his front door, rolling his eyes as Aria leaned carelessly against the wooden frame.

"Stefan's home isn't he?" she asked, playing with the end of her poker straight hair. He simply glared, pushing passed her and opening the door. "Sure, I'll come in."

Damon strode into the parlour, Stefan looking up from his book that he had found at his brother's quick return. He was about to question him, when Aria entered his eye line, her black boots clicking against the wooden flooring.

"No time for introductions, this is Stefan. Stefan this is Aria, Katherine's daughter, Klaus' minion," Stefan sat like stone, his eyes the only part of his body moving as he followed the girl positioning herself on the arm of the couch, Damon messily pouring a large glass of bourbon.

"Where's Katherine?" she asked breaking the silence and making Stefan stand up, the veins in his arms pulsating in anger.

"If she's related to Katherine, she's lying. She's nobody."

"Damon, I'd go check on Elena, quickly." Her head snapped to the side almost as if her neck could turn right around. "Run"

He took no chances. When it came to Elena, he had to move. The glass shattered against the floor as Damon's outline was left in the position of his stance. He sped his car down the long dirt driveway and towards the Gilbert's, not a single clue of what he was walking in to. He heard a voice as he turned into her street, his eyes darting around the area. It was dark and still, he saw nobody but slammed on his break outside Elena's house. Slamming the door violently, he rushed to the back of the house, climbing the tree outside of her bedroom and pushing himself through the already opened window.

"Damon!" Elena was stood at her mirror, a towel wrapped around her petite body, water dripping onto the floor from her hair. Damon froze at the window seat as he saw her barely covered. He swallowed deeply, his eyes moving to the floor. "Damon, what is wrong with you?"

"Klaus, she said he was here." He moved to the bathroom door, pushing it open violently only to be met with the humid steam that was left over from her shower. He looked behind the shower curtain as if it were a bad horror movie, in her closet back in her bedroom before inspecting Jeremy's room, which he found to be empty also.

She watched as he frantically searched through her brother's closet, pushing clothes side and making scrapbooks of his drawings falling from the shelves, holding shoes and whatever else Jeremy stored away. "Damon, no-ones here. He wouldn't be able to get in."

He turned looking at her standing in her brother's doorway, her hand wrapped tightly around the top of the towel keeping herself covered. "Son of a bitch," he muttered slamming the door loudly, making Elena jump.

"She found you," Elena concluded, walking back into her room, Damon following. He sat on her bed, his head resting in his hands as she grabbed clothes from the back of the chair she had left them on while showering. His eyes only moved when he heard the door squeak in alert she had pushed it closed. He could see her through the crack in the door, the dip of her back, glistening in its damp state. He gulped as he watched the white towel skim over her olive skin, her long wet hair covering it moments later as she moved her locks out of the way as she pushed a black tank over her. He heard her move, turning his head back to the floor as the door opening, Elena emerging in shorts that she must wear to bed. The mattress moved as she sat next to him, her smooth legs crossing over one another.

"I told her not too." She whispered.

"When do vampire's ever listen?" he asked, his blue orbs fixated on the ground below his feet.

"Never," she said, a small laugh escaping her lips. "I should have warned you, I should have told you what Katherine told me in the tomb,"

"Yeah you should of,' he replied sharply, his head popping up to meet hers. "You should have told me the second she did or Stefan. Aria or whatever the hell her name is could be lying. For all we know, she's just lead Klaus to us. She's could be a decoy.'

"Or she could be telling the truth," Someone had to have a little hope and he was shocked that it was her. Normally Blondie would come out with something like that, even Stefan on the odd occasion. His dark brows furrowed, a crease forming in his forehead.

"How can you even think to believe her?"

"She says she can help and something in me believes her, Damon. I need that one bit of hope to help me know that we'll get through this. Not just me, Stefan and everyone else but me and you. She told me not to get close to you, not know but I'm not believing that. She can help us, hopefully.' Her voice was unsure, he could sense it. She was uncertain of believing Aria but had the glimmer of hope that this was a life line, sent from someone to help them through this hell. The hell that is Klaus.

"She's strong Elena. I could barely breathe when she had me against the wall. She's definitely older than me but stronger than Katherine. Maybe she does know Klaus but I won't believe her being on our side, not after Katherine and her little stunt at the Lockwood's." he shook his head, a scowl on his face. If he could do anything it would be to protect Elena and her loved ones, even if it included Sabrina and Stefan.

She didn't say anything after that but simply rested her head on his shoulder, her hand against his forearm. Eventually, she broke the silence, Damon still in the same position he was in moments ago. "Are you scared?"

He looked down at her, his eyes catching her natural beauty in the dwindling light of her bedroom, the only source coming from the bathroom where she had failed to switch the light off. He found his arm lifting and moving around her shoulder, bringing her small frame into the side of is. "Scared? That's an understatement. I'm terrified."

In the time she had known him, not once had he admitted fear. "Klaus is strong, he's an original and can probably do things that I can't imagine. I can change into a crow, what goods that going to do?" his mind flashed back to the day in the graveyard, the moment he had spotted her for the first time, sitting against a headstone.

"You can change into a crow?" she asked, a smile twitching at the corners of her mouth.

"Is it that funny?" he asked, his eyes falling on her fill lips. He saw her nod and he couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah, yeah, it scared the shit out of you though."

"When?" she asked, her memory unable to fall that back in the time she had known the brothers with the many events that had occurred.

"Remember the day you met Stefan? You went to see your parents and there was this creepy bird on top of a grave?" he wondered, seeing her frown for a moment before nodding. "You said hello bird when it wouldn't leave. That was me"

What he felt next was a slap against the side of his arm, Elena laughing gently. He turned, a hurt look on his face as he sat her kneeling on the bed closer to the pillows. "What?"

"That scared me so much, you dick!" she said through her giggles, leaning back against the headboard.

"Would you have rather seen a hungry vampire?" he wondered, a wide grin showing as he watched her gleeful mode.

Her laughter subsided and she was looking up at him soon after, her eyes still showing the smile that had left her face. "Yes," she said with a nod, surprising him.

"What?"

"I would rather of seen you as yourself than a bird. It would of made my life a lot easier than finding out the way I did with Stefan plus crows are pretty ugly" she said shrugging slightly as he moved to sit up beside her, moving her bear from its position in the middle of the bed and placing it against his stomach.

"Are you saying that I'm not ugly?" he asked smugly, Elena rolling her eyes, her front tooth sinking into her bottom lip lightly.

"You're not horrible to look at," she said quietly, his cocky grin erupting on his face as he moved the small bear, his arms moving across it. It was then that he heard a light tap against the window and his head turned in the direction. Elena didn't hear it, she as still looking at her hands when he shoved the bear towards her, slowly going towards the darkened window. In attempt to hide himself, he stood at the wall, his eyes patrolling the garden, as far as he could see anyway.

"What is it?" Elena asked, Damon holding a finger up to silence her as he moved closer to the glass separating them from the outside world. He couldn't see anything but he could smell someone. Someone who hadn't washed in weeks from what the smell was like. Another tap came across the window, as if a rock was hitting it but nobody was there. Only someone with a great aim could throw from a far and hit the window as lightly as they were doing. Someone with a light touch when needed but a strength that could break through glass easily. They couldn't get in, he kept repeating that to himself as he flashed towards the opened window, closing it quickly and locking it sharply.

"Damon," Elena's voice was full of fear as she called his name from the bed in the middle of the room. She was going to move to step towards his side when he waved his hand to make her stay still.

Quickly his eyes darted around the surroundings once again. From what he could see, there was nobody until he moved his eyes back to where they had started. A bright pair of almost yellow eyes were in the distance, piercing through Damon's. Seconds later, Damon closed the blinds and curtains with the fastest instance, turning to Elena.

"You don't leave here unless someone is with you,' he said, walking to the bathroom and turning the light off, closing the door after. Moving to her bedside table, he flicked the lamp on and removed his jacket, throwing it to the end of the bed. "Someone has to be here whenever you, Jeremy or Jenna is too,"

"What? Why? He isn't here," she said frowning at his actions.

"Someone's watching the house Elena." He said, his voice harsh. "Where are Jenna and the kid?"

"Jenna's is staying with Ric and Jeremy's with Bonnie." She told him, catching her phone as he tossed it to her. "Tell Jenna to stay at Alaric's, I'll handle Jeremy,"

Without questioning him, Elena phoned Jenna telling her to stay where she was as Damon matched her actions with Jeremy. A breeze ran through her room and she moved under the sheets of her bed, curling into the warmth it gave off even as she first entered it. Damon hung up seconds after she did and turned to her, moving to the window seat and sitting on it, resting his legs against it.

"Damon" Elena's voice was quiet but it made him turn all the same. She had pushed the opposite side to her bed's sheets down, signalling him to move beside her instead of sitting where he was. He studied her face, not sure if he should move but she nodded her head in a fashion that told him to. He kicked off his shoes, covered in mud from rushing through the woods with Aria and crawled into the bed next to her, immediately feeing her move to his side, fear radiating off of her.

"Its starting isn't it?" she asked, her arm draping over his taught stomach, feeling his arms wrap around her moments later.

"Mhm" he muttered simply, his grip around her tightening as he realised his fear of losing her was stronger than it had been with his confession that night weeks ago. Damon lay awake the whole night, listening more to the noises that came from outside. After hours of silence, his eyes moved to Elena's sleeping figure. Her fingers were bunched around his black shirt, attempting to be as close as she could to him. Her breathing was even, her chest rose and fell in a smooth rhythm, indicating that she was deep in slumber. His hand moved gently to unclasp her grip from the material, replacing it with his hand, her fingers clasping around his gently right away.

The pad of his thumb ran gently over the skin that covered her knuckles, his head tilting to the side so it was against the comfort of the many pillows she had conjured up over her time in the house.

He made himself a promise that he wouldn't let Klaus near Elena, pushing himself in front of her, risking his life rather than hers. His eyelids grew heavy, sleep catching up with his already fatigued body. He could lay awake for hours if he forced himself too but he would be no use to her tired, confused. His cheek was soon resting against her head that lay against his chest, his chest moving in slow movements identical to hers. They slept, hands entwined, the idea of Klaus not being far from them twisting into their dreams.

* * *

**You guys really know how to make a girl feel bad for having no talent! With days of attempting to think of an idea, one finally came to me and I didn't even use it! This is 9 pages long and it seems so much longer in my opinion but it's the longest chapter yet and there will be more mainly because you guys are too awesome to leave behind, plus there hasn't been any smut yet! Please review with the thought that the more reviews that come the quicker the next chapter goes up (:**


	8. Chapter 7

_Vervain laced the steel chains that clasped her to the stonewall. She struggled, her spine colliding with the thick layer of rock that separated her from the outside. It was too much, the need for blood, the sting of vervain, the throbbing that cruised through her head, a never ending drum beat. She calmed herself quickly when a muffled scream came from the corridor, footsteps following soon after. She let a cry escape her chapped lips, attempting to force the chains away from her once more before he came into her line of sight._

_'Now, Ariana, is that really a good idea?" She met Klaus' glaze and let out an angered breath, a single tear falling from her eye. "I brought you something but you must earn it."_

_"Why are you doing this to me?" she screamed loudly, her voice echoing in the basement of the old house she was being held captive. "You have witches! Other vampires!"_

_"It will come in useful Ariana, you will see." He taunted her as he pulled the large key from his pocket, entering it into the hole that it was made for and pushing the door open. An elder man soon appeared at Klaus' side, holding a shaking body in his arms, slipping in and out of consciousness. His skin was greying, his skin chapping and peeling from his bones. "He was bitten in the early hours of this morning,"_

_"Why are you doing this?" she seethed as he was thrown into the cell with her, a young man being dragged along the corridor. Aria recognized him, it was the father of her baby, the one who was supposed to be safe and taking care of the little boy. His neck was slit in a light curve, blood falling from the injury. He was barely breathing, his skin turning blue at the amount of blood he had within him. Klaus must be keeping him alive with small amounts of blood from himself. "You promised he was safe"_

_"I had my fingers crossed," Klaus grabbed the man by the neck, squeezing so hard that blood poured from the neck onto his hand. He threw the man to the floor, Aria's animalistic side pulling free as she struggled against the chains, her skin sizzling. The blood was too tempting, she was a young vampire and in need of nutrition. "You're lover is a witch, he knows how to cure a werewolf bite but he's useless when he's dying. He's been compelled and when you feed from him, his powers will be given to you Ariana. Future references of this injury may save someone you care for"_

_"I'm not feeding from him,' she pushed herself into the dark corner as Klaus walked into the cell, the much older witch who had carried the vampire into the cell following in behind. She watched intently as he unlocked the chains, Aria's skin red raw from fighting the barriers._

_She was held against the wall, her throat closing as she felt a hand enclose around her airway, the witch staring her down intently. The young dying man was lifted with assistance and moved towards Aria, her canines elongating at the scent of the blood. His hands moved to clutch the side of her head, Aria letting out a piercing scream as he tightened his grip, Klaus simply standing in the background._

_"Don't fight it, Ariana," he said with a smirk on his face, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched the young girl fall to her knees, her fangs colliding with the witches skin, drinking deeply from the wound previously there._

* * *

Her heels clicked on the stone steps as she sauntered into the room that kept Bonnie hidden from Klaus. Bonnie was simply sat reading one of the many books that were scattered around her, attempting to find someway of killing Klaus that would keep her alive for Jeremy's sake. Aria hadn't had the fortune to have met Jeremy yet but she knew the young witch loved the Gilbert boy.

"You won't find anything in there," she muttered as she stepped into the room, shivering slightly as she let her eyes gaze around the surroundings, candles set in every corner of the room. "Well you might but you won't able to do it on your own."

Bonnie turned, her eyebrows furrowed as she watched the vampire walk simply into the vicinity. "I can kill Klaus easily, thank you."

Aria laughed, leaning against the wall and gazing at the candles that were surrounding her. "Are you a fan of Yankee candle? They sell different scents you know,"

"Who are you and what do you want?" she asked, ignoring her sarcastic quip.

"Introductions, introductions." She said simply, picking off some of the wax that had fallen onto the table that held them. "I'm a vampire. Katherine's daughter. Klaus' minion as Damon calls me and he calls me a bitch all the time but I tend not to mention that.' Aria smiled gently at the witch in front of her, walking over to her and sitting across from her, an old box erupting dust as she let herself sit.

"You could clean this place," she said waving her hand in front of, the candles igniting around them.

Bonnie watched as each wick began to burn, fire crackling angrily around the wax. "You're a witch?"

"Sort of. Klaus is a werewolf too but you know that."

"How is that possible?" Bonnie asked, her voice quiet as she stared at the female vampire in front of her.

"This is getting so repetitive. I'm a vampire and a witch. I know a lot about Klaus, you need to trust me or Elena will die." Aria gazed back at Bonnie, nobody moving for a few minutes. She saw Bonnie attempt to cast a spell against her, it failing as Aria swept the girl across the room, her body landing on the make shift bed Jeremy had created for her. "I'm on your team, Bonnie. You're worse than Damon."

"Nobody's worse than Damon," Bonnie muttered pulling herself back onto her feel, shifting the dust from her jeans and leather jacket.

* * *

He sat clutching his head, rubbing the throbbing temples in attempt to soothe the burn that took over his head. With Elena gone, he at least didn't have to worry about her finding out about the bite that was poisoning his system slowly but it killed him further that Elena wasn't beside him, wasn't safe. All he had was Aria and a depressed Stefan at the fact he had just let Klaus take her. Katherine was there, being Katherine. Nobody of any use.

"I thought vampires didn't get hangovers," Aria's voice made him shudders; it was as if her words made his head hurt more. She sauntered over to the kitchen island and grasped the scotch bottle in front of him, noticing it wasn't even open. "Its not open."

"Well done, Sherlock, you should have a crime drama," he muttered as he looked up at her, sending a glare her way as she ripped the plastic from its seal, pouring some of the scotch into the glass that in front of her. Every noise, every word was louder than he had expected, he had well hearing anyway but it hurt whenever someone would make a simple noise.

"So is it because my mother is back in the picture and yet to speak to me or is it because you walked into a wall and gave yourself amnesia?" she asked, sipping the golden liquid because sitting up on the counter, her belt hitting the marble causing Damon to flinch.

"Its you in general that's giving me a headache," he told her, putting his head back into his hands as she crossed her jean glad legs over one another. "You're voice is shockingly high,"

"Oh thanks, that makes me feel awesome about myself," she replied, shaking her head before placing the glass down again, the cylinder still half full. "You look whiter than a sheet, are you sure you okay?"

He groaned, sitting up abruptly, his sleeve falling, Aria not missing the glimpse of the infection taking over the crook of his arm. "What was that?" she asked quickly, Damon catching on and putting his hand over the material that was covering his peeling injury.

She saw his reluctance to move his hand and quickly grabbed his wrist, holding onto it tightly so he couldn't let go. She pushed the black material up and revealed the wound, looking up at him with a worried expression seconds later. "Damon, is that what I think it is?"

"A werewolf bite? Yes, the dog bit me while I was saving Blondie's boyfriends ass." He struggled to pull his arm back, Aria's grip and age getting the better of him. "Aria, let me go."

She dropped his arm, letting it thud to the black marble beneath them. She shook her head, a sigh falling from her lips as he walked out of the kitchen, taking the bottle of scotch with him and disappearing to his bedroom, locking the door quickly after.

She downed the last of the scotch and before she knew it, she in front of Stefan's door, knocking loudly since he had music playing. She pushed the door open and found him pulling himself up on the beam in the centre of his room. "Stefan, do you know that Damon was bitten by Tyler?"

"That's a stupid question," he said in between pulling himself up. "Of course, I do. He told me after the funeral"

"Come with me then," she told grabbing his ankle to stop him. She saw his glare but simply raised her eyebrow, letting him fall to the floor and getting a shirt on. Within a moment, Stefan was in front of her, towering over her petite frame. His eyes were dark, full of anger but with a hint of protection towards Elena.

"There's no cure. The witches won't give it to Bonnie. Klaus ran off with Elijah, he's gone." His body was across the door, making it impossible for her to escape his room. "Even if there was, we won't get it.

She looked deep into his pools, almost as if she was reaching his soul. She groaned in frustration, shaking her head slightly. "You don't know the full story. Even though Klaus ran off with his precious brother, Elijah, there is so much that man could of told you before you sank that dagger in his chest."

"What do you mean? Klaus is the oldest vampire in the history of vampires. How can you be the next best thing?" he wondered.

"Klaus raised me from the day I turned. I know more about him than Katherine could ever know. I can even tell you his shoe size, in every size conversion possible." Stefan's eyes burned with emotion, anger overwhelming him as the cocky girl in front of him raised an eyebrow.

"Go on," he sneered, dropping his arm from the doorframe, crossing his muscular arms over his bare chest.

"Klaus, the stupid stupid man, doesn't realize how strong I actually am. He never will since he was too dumb to believe I'd only get a little bit stronger. He made me drain a witch. My lover at the time. The father of my child. He made murder him in cold blood but you see, we knew what his plans were. Kill the witch; convert the powers on to me. The fact that I loved him, made his powers stronger. I fed from him; he fed from me for months before Klaus made me kill him." She saw Stefan frown in confusion and smiled. "I'm part witch, Stefan. Just like he's part werewolf and I can easily kill him with your witches help. Keeping her under ground with Elena's little brother isn't going to last much longer. I can save you're brother but first we have to kill Klaus and get Elena back. He won't let me save him unless she's safe and it'll probably take a hell out of him to let me save him even if she's here. I know him from just looking at him. He's stupidly stubborn and loves that girl. He'd die for her Stefan, literally and I know, as much as you don't want to admit it, you can't lose anyone else. Specifically you're brother because you love him and he loves you."

"I hate him and he hates me," he replied quickly.

"For fuck sake, Stefan! You're brothers. You don't stop loving each other, you're family and you're gonna help me save him if you like it or not." With that she pushed him out of the way with a simple move of her hand, catching his wrist and dragging him out of the boarding house.

"How do you know where she is?"

"Like I said, I know more about Klaus than you think,"

* * *

Elena watched Klaus' still body engulfed in the greenery, the only movement proving his life, his chest heaving up and down as he returned to his all most human state. It had been two days since he had transformed and hadn't moved since. They had tried but it didn't work. She was going to die and she knew it. Nobody was coming for her, nobody was strong enough. A rustle in the distance made her head snap to the side at the movement. She figured that it was just Elijah, returning with blood for his brother but saw a glimpse of a head of long hair as it swept behind the trees. Another came from the opposite side of her. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw Stefan emerge from behind the tree, just slightly, his finger going to his mouth signalling her to stay quiet.

"It worked, I can change at will," her attention was back at the naked body lying in the field, it finally moving. Blood covered his back and hands as he got onto his knees, grabbing the dark jeans from the side of him.

"Why do you still have me them?" Elena asked bitterly, her eyes sending a glare towards the vampire as he pulled his clothes on.

"Insurance." He stood, grasping his boots from the ground and pulling them on, turning to the young Gilbert with a devilish smile.

"Insurance for what?" she asked quietly, seeing Aria move in the background, Bonnie pushing herself off of the side of a trunk, muttering things in a language only she would understand. Klaus was unable to reply. His smile fell from his dirt-ridden face, his eyes rolling back into his head as his knees returned to the ground, his hands reaching to grip his temples. He writhed under the her words, Aria falling from the forest, her mouth moving in sync with Bonnie's, her hand moving simply and erupting a scream from Klaus, his arm turning in his socket, the snap of his bone apparent to even Elena's hearing.

"Oh my dear, Klaus. For such an old man, you really are naive." Stefan was at Elena's side, helping her up as her body found no strength to lift itself. She watched as Aria stepped to the dying vampire's side, a black dagger gracing her slender fingers. It left her grasp however as she tossed it to the side, a deep groan coming from a figure not far from them. "Elijah, you never were light footed."

"I thought she was a vampire," Elena said quietly to Stefan.

"She is," he replied simply as Aria let her canines leave her gums. The dark veins took over the skin under her eyes as she let her fangs pierce Klaus skin lightly, only so much that a trickle of blood escaped his arteries.

"This is what you get for making my life hell." There wasn't even a movement from her but Klaus groaned out in pain as his leg jutted into the air, Bonnie standing simply at their side. "You could of left me. Left me to die with my family. But no, you had to turn me, take my baby away, made me kill his father so he was alone. Alone in the world with you always watching his back. He was innocent. He was made out of your anger and you never let me even hold him. I'm not letting you kill anyone else, Klaus. Even if it's the last thing I do. I hate you. I hate you for turning me. I hate you for converting his powers onto me, making me so confused that I had no idea if I were to wake up the next morning. For abusing me. For keeping me away from Katherine even though you knew she was still alive, roaming the planet. I hate you so much. So much that you're gonna die under the hands of two 18 year olds. Even though technically, I am over 500 years old"

Bonnie watched as Aria got back onto her feet, the mumbling starting from both females as Aria motioned for Stefan to get Elena back to the boarding house.

"Oh and Klaus, you're saving Damon Salvatore." A stake arose from the back of her body, laced in vervain, stinging her hands but she didn't care. It was plunged into his chest even though she knew that wouldn't end him. "Remember when you made me kill him, you chained me up in vervain. This is how much it hurt."

"You're witches are dead. Your vampires are dead. Elijah is dead. Luckily, I have this," Bonnie handed her another black dagger, identical to the one now piercing Elijah's heart. She rolled it in her fingers, laughing gently as Klaus' eye's turned yellow, and his second transformation starting. "That's not the best idea,"

The dagger found its way to his arm, running down the vein clearly showing. Bonnie was at her side, collecting the blood to save a dying Damon before Aria pierced through his arm completely, the dagger emerging from his skin, dirt covering the blade. Tauntingly, Aria's hand ran down Klaus cheek, her lips turning into a smirk only Damon Salvatore could of taught her. "Have fun in hell."

* * *

Elena gripped onto the dashboard of Stefan's car as he drove frantically back into the centre of Mystic Falls. He had left her best friend and supposed relative with a vampire who she knew would kill them both easily. She needed to see Damon. Feel safe as he pulled her into his muscular chest, held her tightly like he did the night Aria announced Klaus' arrival. As they arrived outside of the boarding house, Alaric's car was the first to catch her eye.

"Why is he here?"

"He's watching Damon," Stefan slammed on his breaks, Elena rushing out of the car as it came to a halt, immediately running into the parlour to find it empty. "Where is he?"

Alaric, who was stood at the door as she searched through the kitchen and adjoining room for Damon, pointing upstairs towards the large bedroom Damon called his own. Elena ran, skipping a step at a time, up to the room but stopped, her heart falling in her chest as she saw Damon writhing on the bed, blood covering the sheets and the edges of his mouth.

"Its not safe, Elena," Stefan appeared suddenly at her side, grasping her shoulder as she attempted to move towards Damon, seeing his pain. "He's dying,"

"Stefan let me go," she sneered at her ex boyfriend, attempting to break free from his vice grip that kept her in position outside of the door. She felt her knee's buckling at the sight of Damon, Stefan wrapping an arm around her waist and leading her out of the room. "How! How did this happen?"

"Tyler," he said simply, not letting her go knowing she would of ran straight back into the room. "Aria says she knows a cure until she gets back, we just have to wait and leave him in there. She cast a spell to keep him in there. He won't get out but if you go in, neither will you. You remember what happened with Rose, Elena. Damon could be easily much worse."

The realization that Bonnie was left with Aria and Klaus in the field dawned on her then. She felt the tears burning in the corner of her eyes, her hand clutching onto Stefan's forearm to keep her steady. "Bonnie, you left Bonnie!"

"She's safe," he said simply, grimacing as Damon screamed in pain, the poison of Tyler's bite working further through his system.

* * *

**SO! This was written before the finale aired so its kind of my twist on it so things that happened in the finale won't be happening here… somewhat. I'm leaving it there mainly because the next chapter involves smutty smutness and its practically all Delena and the drama of this chapter I think will over power the smut that you all want. I apologize for the lack of updates, this has been sitting on my desktop for a while in bundles of writing all over the place. So yeah, let me know what you think and I'll update as soon as I can (:**


	9. Chapter 8

**I am such a bad author! You all deserve to hit me with something for not updating but it's been a hard few months for me. Not long after my last update, my granddad past away and that wasn't easy considering I lost my mum in December also plus my ideas just felt boring to me and I wanted to expand the story and add more drama instead of going straight to the delena, which I know you all want, it is coming but I want to do something else first. What did everyone think of the first two episodes of the season? Let me know!**

* * *

Elena was stubborn. Days turned into a week. A week turned into 2 and there were still no sign of Aria with the cure to pull Damon out of the grasp of death's clingy hands. Something was keeping him with them. He was fighting even though the pain was becoming unbearable not just for him but the people in the boarding house. His screams of agony echoed though the old walls and it was killing Elena slowly, piece by piece.

"Elena, you're a member of the founding families, you have to go," Stefan said as he leant against the door frame of Damon's bedroom, watching Elena as she shook her head, her hand clutching Damon's rigid one as he writhed in pain on the black sheets.

"I'm not going, Stefan," she said quietly, her voice certain and determined that she was going nowhere.

"Neither is Damon," she gazed up at him just in time to see his eyebrows rise. He knew he was right. She did too.

"Why can't Jeremy go?" Elena had kept herself isolated since finding Damon in the state he was that night Aria stood up against Klaus and hadn't seen Jeremy since. She had taken herself away from the outside world and placed herself in her own personal bubble of taking care of Damon and praying when she was to wake the next morning, he was still breathing. Stefan quietly shuffled on his feet, his eyes falling to the ground to fix on his leather boots.

"Stefan?"

She heard him sigh deeply, his hand finding his forehead and slowly rubbing his temples. "Jeremy went to look for Bonnie,"

He anticipated her reaction. She was on her feet and slamming her balled fist against his hard chest within seconds and he wasn't planning on stopping her.

"You let him go after Bonnie! When we have no idea what is going on with Klaus? Stefan, he could be dead for all we know!" She was screaming now. Her piercing shrieks however failed to even make Damon even shift in his bed. "Stefan! How could you? You know how powerful Klaus is! Jeremy isn't mortal, he has that ring but that won't save him forever"

"Elena."

"No! There is no excuse for you even letting him near Bonnie when she stupidly agreed to help Aria. We still aren't sure we can even trust her yet. How do you know she hasn't basically pulled Bonnie into a trap? Klaus and Aria could be in this together for all we know. I swear to god Stefan," Her voice lowered, her eyes piercing with anger straight into his. "If anything happens to him or Bonnie, I'm holding you responsible."

She turned on her heel and returned to Damon's side. Stefan was frozen in place having never seen Elena that angry. He didn't want to mention it again but Caroline was on his back and everyone in Mystic Falls and living in close radius to the city knew that wasn't a good thing. "The founders dinner…it's tonight"

A glare was shot his way immediately, it strong enough to burn a hole straight through his forehead. "I'll go to this stupid dinner but you aren't leaving this room, you got it? Anything happens, I want a phone call, Stefan. I'm serious. If he starts coughing up blood again or Jeremy just happens to amazingly come back, you better call."

He nodded and turned to leave, his hand grasping the door handle and pulling the door shut once again. For the first time in a long time, he felt the air leave his lungs as his eyes fell upon Caroline who was standing at the top of the stairs, picking the deep blue nail polish from her nails.

"Is she coming?" Caroline asked happily, looking up from her nails with a smile. Stefan pushed past her, heading down stairs, his hand running fiercely through his hair in the greatest frustration. "Stefan!"

"Like you didn't hear what she said" he grumbled pathetically as he slouched into the couch, in Damon's usual spot, his fingers wrapping round the glass tumbler filled with scotch that he had left previous to his attempt to talk to Elena.

"I did hear but I wanted to hear you say it," She was at his side in a matter of seconds to him sitting down. Mentally, he cursed what he was. Stupid Vampires and their stupid speed. Stupid hearing. Stupid life. All that had been running through his head the last few weeks was that if Damon wasn't a vampire, he wouldn't be in so much pain. He could have been seen to by a doctor, bitten by a wolf wouldn't stop Damon as a human, he knew it wouldn't. Even in the worse case scenario, Damon would have left the earth in peace. If only he wasn't a vampire.

"Hello, earth to Stefan," Caroline's hand waving in front of his face brought him hurtling back to reality. The reality that he and his brother were supernatural and his brother was on the floor above hanging on to life desperately even if he didn't believe he deserved to live.

"She's going but I'm on her hit list,"

Caroline laughed. She laughed. Stefan looked up at her in her fit of sudden hysteria and frowned, his mouth agape in confusion and shock.

"You're laughing? Really Caroline? Is it really the time and place to laugh?" She shook her head, her hand falling over her lips in attempt to stop her laughter.

"Elena has a hit list and a vampire is on the top of it." Her curls bounced as she shook her head, giggles still escaping her. "You can't be scared of Elena,"

"Jeremy went after Bonnie." Her laughed ceased, her palm found his shoulder and this time he cringed.

"He what?"

* * *

"Don't you think this is dragging just a little? It's been two long weeks and you still haven't spoken and you think your silent protest is going to work. Come on Klaus, you know how long I can sit and wait. I'm very patient." Her tapping of her nails on the stone she was sitting on was the only sound from then on in. Aria sat perched upon the boulder that was placed in the corner of the cave while Klaus hung by the hands, wrapped in vervain and wolfs bane soaked ropes. "Klausy,"

"Why are we even trying?" Bonnie asked as she came out of the shadows, her cheeks stained with dirt as well as Klaus' blood. "He won't talk."

"He'll talk. I know he will. He wants something, he always does." She raised her perfectly shaped eyebrow in the way of Klaus' tired face. His eyes dead with exhaustion but dilated and ready to bite the closest victim to get a blood fix to bring him back to strength. Aria smiled at Klaus as he let out a groan of frustration. "Is he going to talk?"

"Blood." He muttered, his hands falling weak against the rope. "Then I'll talk."

She dropped her head so her hair fell over her eyes. Rubbing the bridge of her nose, she hopped off the rock simply and brought a small plastic cup filled with the coppery liquid to his mouth. "One sip. There are two vampires here after all."

Seeing his fangs bare, she quickly retracted the material holding the blood and shook her head, tutting quietly. "Now Klaus that's not going to work now is it? You're tired to this lovely cave, yes it may just be rope but it has vervain and wolfs bane soaked through it. Verbane if you may or Wolfsvain, you're choice. Damon's better with the wise cracks but he's lying on his death bed and I'm not going to stop until you tell me what you want but you have to give me the cure. If not, you'll follow Elijah on the road to la la land and not Los Angeles, which I hear is very nice at this time of year. Sunny, bright, warm." She said rolling the cup between her fingers. "Not the place for a vampire as weak as you with a witch as a minion. Vampire's burn in the sun remember?"

"Fine," he growled, relaxing against cold stone and watching Bonnie in the corner. His mouth twitched, his head snapping in the opposite direction. "We have a visitor"

"What?" Aria said confused, her face dropping as a figure rushed into their hide out, a stake in hand and aiming it at Aria. She could only roll her eyes however. "Mini Gilbert."

"Give me Bonnie," Jeremy told her fiercely, moving closer to her, the stake poised to leave his hands. "Let her go and you'll be fine."

"Jeremy, I'm fine" Bonnie tried to reason from her spot in the corner. "Aria isn't trying to hurt me."

"Then why has it been so long?" he yelled, waving his free hand in the air and signalling to the stone fortress around them. "Why are you here? It's a cave in the middle of no where, you're lucky I found you!"

"We're trying to save Damon," Aria spoke up.

"Shut up! Screw Damon! Give me Bonnie, now!"

Aria sighed and looked towards Bonnie, tilting her head towards Jeremy and standing to the side. Bonnie approached the younger Gilbert slowly, placing a hand on the stake and placing it at his side, carefully making it slip from his grasp and into hers.

"Jeremy, I'm fine. We need this cure. For Elena. Elena can't handle another loss. Even if it's Damon, who I'm the first to admit is an ass but it's Elena."

"But Bonnie, you could die. Klaus already tried to kill you once. What's stopping him doing it again?" he asked quietly, forgetting he was in the presence of Aria also.

"Me. Now if you'd just leave I can do it. Klaus was going to talk before you walked in. This isn't an episode of supernatural here, well minus the two hot brothers, we don't do cliff hangers." She turned back to Klaus, holding the blood just out of his reach. "Now what was it you wanted?"

"Stefan,"

* * *

Elena was standing in the corner of the Lockwood mansion, a glass of champagne in hand, her feet crossed over each other. She obviously wasn't happy being there with the other founding families, all dressed up and putting on the fake smiles that came with the package of the founding family events. Sipping the sparkling liquid, she stood quietly until Caroline found her.

"Elena, will you please at least try to look happy?" she asked with her usual chirpy voice. These things were always important to Caroline and Elena had no idea why. "I mean, I know your worried but these things are supposed to be fun!"

"Where have you been the last few of these?" Elena asked sombrely as she gazed over the people in the large living room, chatting away after they had sat down for dinner. She had to admit that it was the first decent meal she had eaten in a while but she'd much rather be at the boarding house, standing by the phone for news of Jeremy and hoping Aria would walk through the door, cure in hand and Bonnie behind her.

"Come on, Elena! Damon will be fine, he's been the same for two weeks, he won't change if you leave his room," Elena knew she was trying to make her feel better but it wasn't working. Caroline must have noticed this as she fell silent, taking a large gulp of her drink before almost choking on the liquid that had just ran down her throat.

"What?" Elena wondered as Caroline looked around the room in the way she, Damon and Stefan did when there was trouble around.

"Someone's here," she replied taking her champagne flute and Elena's and putting them on the table next to them. Her hand soon found Elena's and was dragging her through the crowd and out into the back yard. "Down there,"

Elena followed Caroline's gaze and saw a figure immerging from the tree's that lead to the woods outside of the Lockwood mansion. Before Elena could think, Caroline was at the bottom of the garden, her hand around the female's neck and pushing her against a tree.

"What is your problem?" Aria croaked unexpecting the attack from Caroline completely.

"No, what is your problem? You've been away for weeks!" Caroline replied, Elena running down the grass and soon standing at the side of the two vampires.

"Where's Stefan?" she asked, pushing Caroline off of her and looking at Elena.

"At the boarding house. Do you have the cure?" she asked quickly before groaning in frustration as Aria had sped off.

"She's such a bitch," Caroline exclaimed, pulling her heels off and stomping one of her feet into the ground. "My car or yours?"


	10. Chapter 9

**Hi guys! First off I can't express my excitement that this story got passed 100 reviews! Mainly thanks to Erin-Salvatore who reviewed almost every chapter! I can't believe you reviewed too! I love your stories, I've never been much of a reviewer since I'm normally lurking so many websites at once but I'll try to in the future! Thank you for sticking with this story also; it's quickly becoming my baby. A warning to all Delena fans though, this chapter is mainly Stefan and Aria and their past together. I decided that I was going to do something with them and I swear on my life, that I had this idea long before the episode where Klaus had compelled Stefan to forget him. I swear I should write for VD! Ha I wish. I hope you guys enjoy and let me know what you think! It's extra long thanks to many flashbacks!**

* * *

_Reading an old book, Stefan was located in the old library of the Salvatore mansion. With Damon away fighting, he felt himself in this room more than he used to. A quiet knock summoned his presence back to reality and he let the person behind the door enter. Closing the book and smiling at where he had left off, he stood as Elizabeth entered. Elizabeth had aged greatly, she was no longer the young nanny who cared for Damon and himself as children but she kept residence in the servants' area of the house and stayed on as a maid for the family._

"_Master Salvatore, your father requests your presence in his study,' she said politely, frowning lightly as Stefan shook his head with a slight laugh. He had grasped her hand gently and cradled it in his before smiling softly at her._

"_Elizabeth, what have I told you? My name is Stefan to you, you raised me as if I were yours, so please no more Master Salvatore" Having been such a young age when his mother had passed, Stefan only knew Elizabeth to be the only woman in his life. She had raised him as his father kept to his study with bouts of depression from his wife passing. Now at 17, Stefan would continuously remind her this._

"_I'm only trying to be polite and someone has to set the example in this house," She said with her gentle smile that made Stefan warm up inside. She was such a gentle creature and he would miss her greatly when it was time for him to leave. He pressed a light kiss to the back of her hand before heading down the grand staircase and to the back of the house where is father had designed a study for himself. As he approached her heard a voice that was foreign to him, an English accent at that coming from the room. He saw a greying dress peaking from the creak that the door had been left ajar. He knocked lightly and stepped inside, eyeing the young girl that stood in front of his father's desk._

"_You asked for me, Father?" Stefan asked, standing next to the girl, his hands crossed behind his back._

"_Yes, Stefan. With the recent passing of Mrs Donald, I have had to hire a new housemaid. She has recently taken residence in Mystic Falls from London and she is the same age as you are, Son. I would like you too show her to her quarters and make sure she is settled." The younger Salvatore couldn't help but frown at his father's sudden niceness. Usually he would greet the help and then send them off. Never had he given them such hospitality. His father obviously noticed his pause as he commanded soon after. "Now, Stefan"_

"_Yes, Father," he said with a light nod, searching the ground for a bag for the young lady. He saw nothing however and soon led her from the office. Closing the door lightly behind him, Stefan soon stopped the young maid before the stairs leading back to the second floor. "I never caught your name, Miss." _

"_Ariana, sir. Ariana Pierce" She told him quietly, her English accent seeping through the words that escaped her mouth. He couldn't help but smile at her shyness as they continued to grace the stairs, her low heels making the only noise between them until they reached the bedroom that was next to Elizabeth's. _

"_You have no belongings?" he asked curiously as he opened the door, letting her step inside before him. She shook her head gently as she turned to him, her deep chocolate brown orbs catching his interest. _

"_I'm afraid not, Sir. My family was never wealthy, this was my sisters." She was straightening down a crease in the skirt of her dress. "I relocated in the hope to find a new life, your father was nice enough to let me into your home." _

_He gulped lightly, having trouble not finding this new addition to the help attractive. "I'm sorry to hear about your family. I will get Elizabeth to find you a new dress for you to wear"_

"_You needn't do that, Sir" _

"_No, I shall." He told her with a toothy grin. "The Salvatore's always look their best." _

"_I am a Pierce, Sir," she said looking down at her shoes. _

"_You're a Salvatore now. As the only other Salvatore in this household, my father is rarely seen outside his study. Anybody who lives under this roof is apart of the family. I will try to make your stay here comfortable, Miss Pierce. It's the least I could possibly do,"_

* * *

Aria quickly darted into the bedroom of Damon, Stefan jumping in surprise having not heard the vampire enter. She was fast, he couldn't deny that.

"Aria?" he said her name in a question as he stood quickly, catching her as she almost fell from her feet. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said quickly, getting herself back on her feet and walking towards the bed. "I just ran a long way. Has he woken at any point?"

"Once or twice," he told her, his ears catching the sound of Elena's voice from downstairs. "Do you have the cure?"

He watched her as she pressed her hand to his forehead, feeling how high his temperate was at that moment in time. She hadn't seen him in weeks but this was the sight of a dying vampire, something she had seen many a time before.

"Where's the cure?" Elena had stormed into the room, her heels in her hand and mud on her legs from having ran in the field as Aria appeared, Caroline on her heels. Aria turned as the girls entered the room and sighed, gazing at Stefan out of the corner of her eye.

"I haven't got it." She said quietly, Caroline and Stefan obviously hearing her, Elena thinking she hadn't replied yet.

"What do you mean you don't have it?" Stefan asked, his stare deathly.

"Klaus wants something," she said a little louder as Elena came to her side, glaring at the female vampire that stood next to Damon.

"What does he want?" Elena questioned, looking down at Damon as he shifted, a groan escaping his lips.

"Stefan," Everyone in the room soon turned to the younger Salvatore brother, his face full of confusion. "Klaus wants Stefan,"

"For what?" Caroline wondered.

"I don't know but if we go now, I can get the cure back quickly,"

"You can? Why can't it be you and Stefan?" Elena questioned, wondering if this was another one of Klaus' traps. "Wait, where's Bonnie and Jeremy?"

"With Klaus," Aria told her. "He's tied up, vervain, wolfsbane. He can't move."

"I'll go," Stefan spoke up form the corner, coming to stand next to Aria. "If it saves Damon,"

* * *

_Her giggles sent tingles down his back as they rolled around beneath the cotton sheets of his bed, his hands soon pinning her petite arms to the mattress, a smile playing on his lips. Stefan lifted one of her hands and placed gentle kisses to each of her fingertips, making her smile in return._

"_I shouldn't be here," she said quietly, as he grazed a kiss against her wrist, running his nose lightly over her soft skin._

"_I want you here. Its my bedroom, my rules," he said huskily, their legs entwined as he looked back down at the young girl laying beneath him. _

"_What if Elizabeth catches me? Or worse you father?" she said with concern dripping from her words._

"_They wont, love. Elizabeth doesn't wake until later. Father is in town until this evening, you know my brother is at war, we have our time" he told her with a smile, placing a kiss against her already swollen lips. "You shouldn't worry so much, Ariana,"_

"_I could be summoned to death if they do" she mumbled against his lips, feeling his headshake lightly after, his lips stopping her words of worry. He intertwined their hands once again and lifted them to the side of her head, their lips moulding together perfectly in sync as their lower halves moved together creating friction._

"_Master Salvatore!" Stefan jumped back as someone rapped loudly on his door, her head snapping around as the doorknob twisted lightly. "Master Salvatore, are you decent for me to enter?"_

_Aria had covered her mouth with her hand to stop any noise flowing from her mouth. One of the maid's had awoken early, it wasn't Elizabeth for sure, Stefan knew that by the wicked tone of her voice. _

"_One moment," he called, looking down at a very naked Aria underneath him. He moved off of her and looked around the room. He knew the maid would go into his closet to retrieve his clothes, she would go into the bathroom adjoining to his bedroom to tidy. "Get under the sheets," _

_Lying on his usual side of his bed, he arranged the covers and over sheet so that it hid Aria perfectly, placing the spare pillow that he had under his arm and placing that lightly over what he guessed was Aria's back. "Come in," he said cautiously as Aria's arm brushed against his side, making him shift slightly._

"_Good Morning Mr Salvatore," the elderly woman said in a sharp tone, moving to the windows and pulling the heavy curtains apart so the bright light filled the room. "Why are you still in bed at this late hour? Elizabeth has already awoken and is preparing your breakfast." _

"_I found it rather difficult to fall asleep last night, the wind was rather loud on this side of the house." He said unsure of himself. Was it even windy last night? Thankfully, the Maid just nodded as she placed a dress shirt and a black pair of pants against the back of an old wooden chair. _

"_Breakfast will be ready soon, Master Salvatore. Please be dressed and in the dining room promptly." She said with a nod. Stefan was always scared of her. She was strict with him even at this age. She was grasping the doorknob to leave when Aria nudged him, obviously running low on air under the thick over cover that was hiding her. _

"_Thank you," he said, his voice pitching slightly as her elbow collided with his ribs. He watched her pull the door closed and he thought he was free but it pushed open quickly once more. "Yes?"_

"_Have you seen Miss Pierce? She is not in her chambers." Stefan cursed himself mentally and shook his head lightly. _

'_Not since dinner last night. Maybe she is down by the stables? She did always press an interest in the horses." He suggested this to the maid and she stood perplexed at the idea for a moment. He shrugged his shoulders slightly and she nodded, moving to leave and finally closing the door. Stefan listened for her footsteps and sighed a breath of relief as they faded, indicating she had left the floor and was now on the lower floor of the house. Throwing the pillow to the floor, he pulled the sheets from the girl that was beneath them, seeing her biting her nail lightly in attempt to stop her laughter seeping through._

"_You think that was funny, do you Miss Pierce?" he asked as he looked down at her. She nodded as she skimmed up the bed into an upright position, pulling the sheet across her chest to cover herself. _

"_Highly amusing. You are rather scared of old Mrs Brown aren't you?" she asked as she lifted herself from the bed and found her under garments scattered across the young Salvatore's floor. _

"_Always have been" he said lightly as he watched her dress, the sheet soon falling to the floor as she pulled the nightdress over her head. She tossed the sheet back simply to his side and smiled before walking towards the door. A small shriek escaped her as she felt herself turned against the door and a strong figure pushed against her. "I get no goodbye kiss?"_

"_Always trying to break the rules," she whispered as their lips collided once more. Their kisses were light and peppering against each other's lips, so much that his arm soon found her waist again but she pushed him back with a light giggle. "No, I must leave. Go dress, I shall meet you after breakfast at the stables." _

_She pushed him back lightly into his room and smiled once more before opening the door lightly and sneaking her head around the door to make sure she was unseen._

* * *

Aria kept her stare forward as Stefan drove them back to where Klaus was being held. She knew he had questions. Hell she had questions. What did Klaus even want with him? He wasn't going to let her make Stefan remember, she knew that. Not being able to tell him who she was after all these years was killing her, especially when they were in such close proximity.

"What does Klaus want with me?" Stefan asked, his eyes hard set on the road ahead as she told him to take a left into the woods not far out from Mystic Falls. She shook her head lightly, unable to answer.

"I don't know." She said in a whisper.

"You should know what he wants, you've been helping us."

"This wasn't in the plan. He wanted Elena not you." She told him as she turned to him in the leather seat, watching his features strain in confusion. "If I knew what he wanted, I wouldn't be bringing you to him but we need the cure."

"We do," he agreed as she told him to stop abruptly as a dirt path was all that was in front of him. "He's here?"

"A mile inwards," she said as she exited the car, not waiting for Stefan before she started to walk. He frowned as he cut the engine and caught up with her, following her to the cave that was covered in moss. He could hear Jeremy from a while back and was able to breathe a sigh of relief that at least Elena wouldn't stake him when he returned. "He's back here,"

Stefan watched as she easily moved a large rock out of the way, Klaus quickly falling into his line of sight.

"Ah you brought him," Klaus said in the same calm and collected voice he always had.

"What do you want?" Stefan questioned him as he looked over at Bonnie and back at the original.

"Time will tell," he muttered as he adjusted his wrist against the rope.

"Klaus you wanted Elena, not Stefan. You told me this, why do you want him?" she asked Stefan looking at her wondering why she was so interested in him. Klaus let out an earthy laugh, shaking his head and making a sharp pain shoot through his neck, a vervain dart lodged just at his hairline.

"I never wanted Elena, I wanted to torture you, Ariana."

"What's he talking about?" Stefan asked as the dark veins became prominent under the brunette vampire's eyes. She latched forward, her fingers wrapping around Klaus' neck and pushing deeply into his throat, causing a sharp intake of breath from the original.

"You had this planned all along," she said coldly, her grip tightening on his neck at every second. "You used me more than I thought. Back in 1864, you left me outside Mystic Falls to watch him so you could take him? In World War 2? Then you made me," she paused, turning to look at a very confused Stefan.

"He doesn't know this Ariana, remember?" Klaus choked out, his voice depleting.

"Know what?" Stefan asked.

"Don't you remember, Stefan? A girl haunting your past. Turning up everywhere." At this point, Ariana's grip was loosening, his voice returning. "But you can't picture her. You can't say what she sounded like. What you felt. But there are feelings deep down. Deep feelings. More than you felt for that Gilbert girl."

"Shut up!" Aria's hand found his chest, shoving him into the cold stone behind him. "You knew how I felt, I came back to help them to see if he remembered without my input and this was your plan all along? Make him remember then take him away?"

"Of course it was. Don't you remember his ripper days? He could come in handy since you managed to kill all my faithful followers. I'm practically the new day Voldemort" Klaus was smirking towards the younger vampire, her eyes cold and dead set on his chest, where his heart would be. She could easily push her hand into his chest at this point and rip it out, just if it had been there. "Now Ariana, be a good girl and release me."

"What's he talking about?" Bonnie spoke up from the corner, Jeremy stood in front of her as Aria looked up at them.

"Oh you poor little witch. Hasn't Aria told you?" Aria pushed him harder against the stonewall as he spoke again but that didn't stop his words. "70 long years ago, Aria here was in love with someone in this room."

* * *

_She watched quietly in the darkened corners of the bar, a glass of champagne nursing in front of her, music floating around the large room as people danced with smiles upon there faces, dashing soldiers on their arms. The London streets were quiet for once, the music muffling the fear that graced its streets. At any moment, the sirens could sound, people would scream, scatter quickly to the bomb shelters located below the dancing feet of hundreds seeking distraction from the future._

_"Another drink, Miss?" Aria moved her gaze, breaking the line of sight of the young soldier at the bar to the older waiter, obviously too old to battle. He held a tray, full of glasses of the overflowing champagne, an ashtray pushing smoke into the already dusky air._

_"No, thank you. I've barely touched this one, Walter but I will keep my eye out for you later in the evening." She smiled her famous wicked smile and he walked off, a small smirk gracing his lips as he walked back to the bar. She shook her head and then brought her glass to her lips, downing the liquid in one before standing up, straightening her dress and sauntering to the bar._

_He graced the bar, his arm resting loosely over a blonde, laughing at something he had said while another two women sat in their little group. He grasped the whiskey glass, a devilish smile on his face as Aria approached, taking the free stool._

_"Whiskey, on the rocks." Stefan watched her as she flirted with the male behind the bar, ushering the other girls off and smirking as the done as they were told._

_"Isn't whiskey a little strong for someone as beautiful as you?" he asked her, sheltering her with his strong chest as other soldiers gazed over at her, her pretty face attracting everyone in the bar._

_"Isn't whiskey a little strong for a soldier who could be called at any moment?" she retorted, looking up at the younger Salvatore. Her eyes lit up as she looked over at him, a smile playing on her lips. She stood, the glass of Whiskey in her hand and grazed her lips against his cheek, moving to whisper something in his ear. "Wouldn't blood be better for us both?"_

_His face froze then and he placed the glass down onto the bar top. He chuckled, rubbing the bridge of his nose and grasping her forearm, pulling her away from the crowded bar and into one of the back rooms, locking the door swiftly before she forced her hand from her skin and pushing him against the wall._

_"You think you're strong because you've drank half the girls that have come here tonight but I'm stronger and I've been watching you, Stefan."_

_"Why?" he asked looking down at her, her lipstick-graced lips raising in a smirk._

_"Because you intrigue me," she said moving her hand to push some of his hair back gently. It grazed passed his ear lightly and down his neck, brushing her fingers against his uniform jacket. "I like this era, you look very dashing, Sir"_

_He smiled, taking her hand in his and placing a kiss to the back of it. "And you Miss Pierce, look insanely beautiful."_

_"I think you mentioned that," Aria whispered gently, Stefan's face moving towards hers slowly. "I've aged nearly another 100 years though,"_

_"So? I'm nearly 81" he said just as quiet, his lips grazing hers lightly. "You haven't changed a bit."_

_"A quirk us vampires have," She kissed him then, crashing her lips against his and he immediately followed her actions. His strong hand found the clip that kept her hair upright and tore it gently from her hair, her locks cascading down her back and his fingers immediately lacing themselves in the gentle silk._

_"Must you leave?" she asked quietly, their lips inches from each other's as she ran a hand over his arm._

_"Its not like I'm not going to come back" he replied in a whisper, his fingers still fondling her hair in a gentle manner._

_"You don't know that. I'm sure the German bombs could blow up a vampire as easily as a human," she said worriedly, her eyes finding his again. She watched his head shake in reply, his index finger curling around one of her strong curls._

_"I won't let them. Knowing you are waiting back here will keep me fighting. Love is always stronger"_

* * *

"But I made her compel him. He was young, 80 or so, so fragile when it came to her powers. She was much more mature in controlling her compulsion. Katherine just happened to get in the way of them in 1864 so Ariana fled, writing to the poor boy until she found out he had been turned. From then, she visited him every so often, running from me. Thinking I didn't know about it." All eyes fell on Stefan apart from Aria as the truth came out. She had followed Stefan throughout his after life, becoming closer to him over the years that just caused more hurt for her.

"Klaus, stop it" she said quietly, her eyes on her feet. Without warning, Klaus had broken through the ropes bounding him to the wall and had her against the wall on the opposite side of the cave, Stefan moving forward to protect her only to be pushed away by the original over powering the much smaller girl.

"He forgot you, Aria. He loved Elena, Katherine. Both your relatives but you still live with the knowing he will never know you again until I let him."

* * *

_The hotel room was quiet apart from the silent whispers that grew louder within her ear. Her eyebrows ruffled in confusion as an eye cracked open, the room dark with the thick curtains to stop any light seeping into the London streets at night. She groaned as she spotted the vampire in the corner, rolling over into the pillow and hiding her face within the material._

"_Now Ariana, it's a beautiful day." _

"_Klaus, its early. You know I hate early." Before she could take a breath, the thin cover was pulled from her, Klaus flipping her over simply and smiling at her tired expression. _

"_You're a vampire, Ariana. You do not need to sleep, remember?" _

"_I like sleeping. It stops me having to watch this face.' Her hand slapped his cheek before pushing herself up, stepping into a pair of heels that sat at the side of her bed at all times. Her nightdress swamped her and her flowing brunette locks almost reached her waist. "Turn around, Klaus" _

"_Nothing I've never seen before" he muttered as he turned to looking out of the window, pulling the black material from the tape securing it to the wooden frame. "Its time"_

_She pulled her dress over her head and turned to him, a small bag in hand and open, her fingers wrapping around the tube of lipstick and pulling it out. "No," she said quickly, mobbing back to the small mirror on the dirty wall, pursing her lips lightly before covering them in a deep red shade. _

"_No?" he was behind her then, his gaze watching her reflection as she pouted lightly, running a nail under her bottom lip to fix the make up. _

"_No" she repeated strongly, finding his eyes in the mirror and locking her gaze with his. "I can't do this again, Klaus."_

_He placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her sharply, pushing her against the wall making the mirror smash behind her head. "You will compel him, he has a duty and you are getting in the way. We'll be back for him, eventually."_

"_No," she said once more. "Klaus, I'm not leaving him. I love him"_

"_You don't love a Salvatore. Your mother loved them both and look what happened to her." _

"_I don't know anything about my mother" She reminded him which made him laugh darkly, moving away from the wall and sitting on the small bed. _

"_You will do this Ariana, you will make him forget, let him fight in the war, let him live and when the time is right, we will get him back." Her pupils dilated slowly and she nodded, compulsion taking over her. _

"_I will compel Stefan to forget me. He never knew me. He never loved me."_

"_Good girl," Klaus said with a smile as he tucked a strand of her unruly hair behind her ear. "He will be at the club tonight. I made sure of it."_

* * *

"You remember that night don't you?" Klaus asked her venomously, pushing her into the stone just as she had did to him. She bit back tears, not of pain but of the past. "I'll give you the cure on one condition. You give me him and I'll let you make him remember. I take him after though and you'll never see him again."

"Fine," she spat, relief running through her as he pushed away from her. Her hand found her throat, replacing where his grip had left a burning strand across her skin. Klaus turned to Bonnie, pushing Jeremy out of the way easily and taking the empty water bottle from her purse that was behind her. Biting into his wrist, he let a single drop fall into the bottle before looking back at Aria.

"Go on then," he said coolly, nodding towards Stefan. She gulped, rubbing her neck lightly before standing and going over to Stefan. She grasped his arms to stop him from moving, looking straight into his eyes and stopping his thoughts.

"You will remember every moment we had together. You will remember our feelings, what we had and what we could have. Remember me, Stefan." He stood silent for a moment before blinking, looking down at the small girl in front of him.

"Ari,' he mumbled, using the name only he called her when she lived in the Salvatore boarding house. Behind them, Klaus smirked biting into his wrist more and letting his blood fall into the plastic container.

"There you are, the cure," he said screwing the lid back on and tossing it to Bonnie over his shoulder. Aria stood in front of Stefan as Klaus approached. He grew closer and she stepped aside, keeping her end of the bargain. She thought he had lost him all over again until Klaus stopped suddenly, blood coming from the corner of his lips and dripping onto his chin.

'My sister's name is Elena, you dick" Jeremy was behind him, grasping the blade that Aria had brought, knowing it would end Klaus. It was jammed into his back, right where his heart would be just a few inches from his flesh, penetrating right through and stopping time in Klaus' life. Aria couldn't help but smile at Jeremy as Klaus fell to his knees, his skin greying and cracking quickly as the little life he had as a vampire left his system. "I hear the journey to hell is a little hot, don't get too sunburnt"

Jeremy kicked the vampire over so his face fell straight into the muddy ground. Bonnie stood shocked in the background still clutching the bottle of blood as Jeremy stepped away, looking still at the blade lodged securely in Klaus' back.

'I could hug you right now," Aria said as she looked down at the dead vampire on the ground and then back at Jeremy "But I won't"

"I think someone else should get that hug," Bonnie told, nodding behind her to a confused looking Stefan, his eyes wide as he gazed from Klaus back to Aria. She turned slowly, looking at the younger Salvatore, a small smile on the edge of her lips.

"I'm sorry," she said lightly as she stood in front of him once again. His lips moved to reply but the shrill sound of his phone rang through the echoing surroundings stopping any reconciliation between them. Before he could even say hello, Elena was yelling into the phone.

"Stefan! Get back here now! He's gotten worse! There isn't long left, please!"

* * *

**Oh how I hope you liked the little thing I came up with Stefan/Aria. I hope you enjoyed the flashbacks too! I always like writing things that give a little more back story. I promise the next chapter will be all Damon/Elena now they have the cure. Some bubbles may be involved too….**


	11. Chapter 10

**Apologies for the time it took to post this chapter, I was in Italy the past week and wanted to make sure this chapter was perfect! Believe it or not this is my first time writing full on smut so doesn't judge me. Plus watching last weeks TVD gave me and idea and I had to add it in somehow and I have no idea how to. AND I like speeches and I tend to make them really long, look out for that! Enjoy and please review!**

**- TVD -**

"Stefan, go back to the boarding house with Bonnie and Jeremy. Take the cure." Aria's expression was blank; her eyes bore into the decaying body of Klaus. She could feel the three people around her staring at her, waiting for her next move. "Now,"

Jeremy couldn't help but grab onto Bonnie's arm and pull her out of the cave protectively. For him, he couldn't get her away from Klaus quicker even if he was cold and dead. Stefan, although, stayed behind, his arms crossing against his chest as he watched Aria bend down next to Klaus. He raised an eyebrow as she placed a hand on the black dagger, clasping her fingers around the handle.

"You're bringing him back?" he asked, his voice cold with betrayal. "After all this, you're going to pull it out of his chest?"

Aria shook her head; her long brunette locks falling in front of her eyes. Within a blink of an eye, she had pushed the dagger further into his skin, the dead vampires body lurching once more before falling still once again. "Jeremy's human, got to make sure its done right."

Stefan watched as she stood up once more, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a small box of matches. "You need gas."

She turned her head, raising an eyebrow and making him smile, memories of their time together returning to him quickly. "Really? I would never have guessed."

In the corner, Stefan had failed to notice the canister of gasoline perched on a rock. He shook his head; he should have seen it coming. Even back then she was always one step ahead of everybody. "Klaus mentioned he had siblings, what if they come looking for him?"

Aria poured the liquid over the body, making sure it was completely covered. "Don't worry. They're all staked somewhere in Chicago locked in coffins in some warehouse. They won't come back unless someone makes them and I'm the only one left who knows exactly where they are."

Lighting a match and dropping it, the gasoline lit quickly, engulfing the body in flames. She moved to stand next to Stefan as the two vampires watched the flames grow. "We should go. He'll be dust in an hour or so."

**- TVD -**

'Damon! Please, just hang on a little longer." Elena's hands were wrapped around the tops of Damon's arms, attempting to keep him against the bed as he convulsed against her, attempting to break free with his vampire visage strong under his tired eyes.

"Get out of here," he said harshly, reality still holding onto him with tainted fingers.

"No!" she said just as harsh, pushing him down harder as he tried to move. She was surprised how long she had kept him down but he was weak, he had refused blood most of the time and only had a small amount of the rich liquid running through his body.

"I said get out!" the door of his wooden closest smashed in half beneath her spine as she found herself pushed onto the other side of the room. She cried out in pain as she felt splinters of wood moving into her skin. His body was over hers soon after, his hand finding her neck and lifting her off of the ground quickly. His eyes were no longer blue but an empty black, dark veins running beneath them. "You need to listen to me when I say get out."

"Damon, please." Her voice was quiet as she managed to get those two words to escape her lips. The air in her lungs was depleting fast and the air was becoming stuffy as his tight grip kept her against the wall. "Please,"

"Damon!" a fresh voice made Damon turn his head towards the door as Aria and Stefan lunged at him, knocking him away from Elena and tumbling to the floor with him in a struggle. Elena fell to the floor in a heap against the broken wood as Bonnie and Jeremy fell to her side, Bonnie rubbing her back as she coughed, gasping for air at the same time. Jeremy watched in horror from his sister's side as Aria pushed Damon down to the ground, her hand finding his jaw as Stefan kept him down. Damon pushed and struggled against the other vampires as Aria pried his mouth open. "Jeremy, get Elena out of this room!"

Jeremy snapped back to reality as he felt Bonnie push him lightly on the shoulder. He nodded to himself as he carefully lifted Elena, wincing as she cried out as her back moved. Jeremy felt a warm wetness on his hands and knew she was bleeding. If Damon wasn't being man handled by Aria and Stefan he could have killed him himself. Careful of her wounds, Jeremy carried Elena out of the room and down to the parlour where Caroline sat with Alaric. Immediately they jumped to their feet as Jeremy placed Elena on the leather couch, tears leaking from her chocolate pools as she groaned as pain moved its way down her spine. Quicker than anyone could notice, Caroline had bit into her wrist and was offering it to Elena, placing it as close to her lips as she could. Elena however, shook her head, attempting to move off the couch muttering something that sounded like Damon.

"Elena, you have to. You're hurt," Caroline gently placed her back down on the soft leather, holding the back of her neck lightly and placing her wrist to her lips. The vampire felt her best friend struggle against her skin before finally giving in, sucking the crimson blood from her veins. A yell sounded from the bedroom, making Elena pushed Caroline's wrist away from her mouth, the blood left over dripping down her olive skin and onto her dress. "No, Elena, you have to keep drinking."

"I have to help Damon," she said quietly, her throat stinging from being held against the closet for the time she had been.

"Stefan and Aria can handle him, please Elena." Jeremy begged as he looked into Elena's eyes. She saw the fear staring back at her. He was worried her injuries wouldn't heal if she didn't keep taking Caroline offer of her blood. "Please"

Silence fell upon the boarding house as Elena stared at her brother. Caroline heard Stefan and Aria but not Damon. Before she could say anything, she felt blood leaving her body as Elena latched back onto her skin, forcing the coppery taste to penetrate her burning throat. She felt the pain in her back decrease slowly as the blood entered her system and soon enough she was able to pull back from Caroline's wrist, stretching her back and removing the pain as if she had just slept in a funny position.

"I'll kill Damon," Jeremy said sharply as he saw the splinters that were piercing Elena's skin. She looked up at him and looked over her shoulder, noticing the small shards of wood.

"Jeremy, he's not himself," she replied as she reached behind her, pulling the only one she could reach from the flesh with a wince of pain entering her expression.

"So! He nearly killed you," he yelled throwing his hands in the air in frustration.

"Jer," Bonnie placed her hand on his back as he turned sharply to look at her. Before she could say anything else, footsteps attracted the rest of the room, Stefan and Aria walking down the staircase, blood on Aria's white shirt. Both were silent as Aria simply tore her shirt off, reaching for one of Stefan's spares that lay against the back of the couch. She slipped it over her head and pushed her hair from the collar, the fabric swamping her petite figure.

"He's resting," she told Elena as she noticed her worried look. "Vervain dart went askew,"

"You used a vervain dart?" Elena asked as Stefan sat on the arm of the couch, rubbing his forehead lightly.

"We had to," he explained. "He was out of control. So we darted him and gave him Klaus' blood. He'll come around soon,"

"I should take you to the hospital. Some of those pieces of wood are pretty deep." Caroline attempted to pull one from Elena's back only for a wail of pain to escape the brunette sitting on the couch. Elena protested, obviously, wanting to be there when Damon awoke from the slumber the vervain had left him in. "He's not going anywhere, Elena."

"Fine. I'm coming straight back though" Caroline smiled in triumph, helping her friend up onto her feet and keeping her up right as they walked out of the parlour.

**- TVD - **

A few hours later, Elena was sat out in the gardens of the boarding house, a cup of coffee grazing her lips every so often as the cool night air rushed past her. A blanket was placed over her back, her wounds stitched and bandaged. Caroline slipped her more blood when the doctor had stepped out of the room to ease the pain the pain killers seemed to miss and she felt as right as rain. For now at least. The pain would sear through her whenever Caroline's blood left her system. She was tired and hungry but refused to leave the space she was sat in. The bench that was placed looking into the woods that lead to the old Salvatore Mansion.

"Planning my funeral already?" His voice made her turns quickly, her coffee mug falling and just missing her lap. "Or are you planning another trip to the hospital already?"

Damon stood a few feet away from the bench she was sat on, a glass tumbler filled with blood grasped in his left hand, the other hand holding onto half of a door that used to be attached to the closet. He examined the shard of wood in his grasp, shaking his head lightly before walking towards her, moving around the bench and sitting down, placing the glass on the wooden arm.

"You're up," she said quietly, watching as he threw the chunk of wood into the woods.

"Mhm," he turned to her then, his eyes searching hers. "Stefan told me what I did to you."

"It's okay" she replied, shaking her head lightly as she bent down to pick up the white mug that lay askew on the ground, the hot liquid already soaked into the mud below. Damon heard her intake of breathe and watched for a second as she paused.

"Easy now," he said gently, helping her back into the sitting position, his hand resting on the small of her back where he knew she wasn't hurting. She felt a strong body behind her as she leant back, Damon resting her against his shoulder lightly.

"No offence" she said letting out a breathe of relief as she was sat upright once more. "But you really stink."

He couldn't help but laugh, his chest rising in a strength Elena hadn't seen in weeks. She smiled gently as he eventually calmed, his free hand resting on his chest. "That's what you say to me when I wake up? I stink?"

"Well you do. You've stunk for a while,' she said playfully, looking up at him and relishing his ocean blue eyes once more.

"You could have done something about that," he was smirking then, his signature look falling back into place against his features.

"You are terrible," she said with a small laugh of her own, scratching the bridge of her nose lightly.

"I'm sorry," he said all of a sudden.

"For what?" she asked, looking back at him again with curious eyes.

"Do you want a list?" he said lightly, his hand rubbing her back lightly. She stood slowly as he did and watched as his face fell at the lack of contact.

"My back's fine," she told him, shrugging the blanket off of her shoulders and folding it up in her arms. He raised an eyebrow lightly and watched as her hand reached out in front of her, nodding towards it for him to take it. He followed suit, grasping her hand and standing up. "I have to change my bandages. I'll run you a bath so I can breathe again without feeling like I'm in a sewer"

He gasped playfully, feeling her fingers lacing with his before they walked back to the boarding house and into Damon's bedroom. He looked around his room, the closet in pieces, the bed stained with dried blood. In the distance, he heard her run the tub and then opening some sort of zip that must have been the tape holding her bandages together. His mind boggled at why she was helping him after all he had done to her. Then he remembered that fateful day that she confessed her feelings to him and how he struggled to believe it. She told him she would wait, be his friend until he was ready and that was what she had been doing. Being his friend, caring for him even if he had no idea she was.

"You have bubble bath?" her head poked around the door with a plastic bottle in hand.

"It's a luxury," he told her, looking over at her as she shook her head. Through the door, he could see her pour some into the filling tub, the scent of the air changing as the soap took over the water. It was then that he stood and for the first time in a long time, Damon Salvatore could admit he was scared of what the outcome of this would be. He was risking everything with what he was about to do but he felt it was the right time. He had waited long enough. Put off his feelings for too long.

Walking into the bathroom, Damon saw her carefully trying to remove the light sweater that she had changed into on the way back from the hospital. A thin white vest soon entered his line of vision. Elena was so transfixed in not hurting herself even more that she didn't notice the vampire standing behind her until she looked up into the mirror, jumping in fright as she saw Damon. His hand ran up her arm slowly, causing goose bumps to erupt on her skin. The pounding of her heart thumped in his ears lowly as his fingertips grazed her shoulder.

'Let me help," he said in a whisper, his voice lower than usual. "It's the least I can do since I caused this,"

She felt herself nodding lightly as his hand moved slowly down her fragile back. To her, it felt good. It caused no pain as it would if she was to simply lift her shirt off. She hadn't seen this side of Damon in a long time. She gazed into the mirror and saw how soft his eyes were as he slowly lifted the white material from her skin, his brows furrowing as he saw the bandages that encased her stitches.

"I'm so sorry," he said quietly, dropping the vest onto the counter top, one of his fingers grazing over the edge of a bandage. Elena couldn't find the words as his fingertips narrowly missed her skin. Her world almost felt as if it was spinning, Damon Salvatore was caring for her this time. Her world came hurtling back down to Earth as she felt a warm tingling sensation gracing her collarbone. Turning her head slightly, she caught the end of Damon placing a soft kiss onto her skin. The room was quiet apart from the sound of her heart drumming in her ears, which she knew Damon would be able to hear.

"What are you doing?" she whispered to him as he placed a kiss on the side of her neck, moving her long hair to one side as he did.

"When I saw you on the bench outside, I realized how stupid I had been. Not believing you when you told me how you felt. Stefan told me you barely left my side the whole time I wasn't myself, even when he told you to leave because he knew I was dangerous. You trusted me and I should trust you.' He was looking over her shoulder, his chin resting upon his and into the mirror catching her eyes with his. The steam that was erupting from the filling tub was making it hard to see her but their eyes broke through the barrier, locking together as if it wasn't there. He turned her gently so the bottom of her back was resting against the cool tile and that she was looking straight at him. His signature smirk appeared on his lips but this time it was different. It was small and had a hint of sadness to it. She searched his eyes in attempt to find out what he was trying to say but found the task difficult. Before she could utter a word, his hand reached up to graze her cheek lightly, reminding her of a dream she had a long time ago. When they first met. His knuckles moved down her jaw line and to her bottom lip before he moved his fingers to caress her chin, lifting it slightly so she was looking straight up at him. "I haven't dreamt in a long time, Elena. Not since I was human but when I was out, all I saw was you and that killed me. The pain was unbearable and all I wanted was to reach out to you but I couldn't. It was like you were moving away from me; further and further every day and I can't imagine how hard that would be in real life. You always told me that it would always be Stefan but to me, Elena, it will always be you."

She was silent and it alarmed him. Her eyes were wide and her mouth slightly ajar at what he had just said and it had him worried she had already moved on. "Unless, Stefan."

Hearing the name of her ex boyfriend and brother of the vampire in front of her brought her hurtling back to earth with a bump. The words he let pour from his heart caught up to her and she shook her head gently. "There's no Stefan,"

The way Damon was looking down at her made her cheeks burn and she knew she was turning an embarrassing shade of red but all he did was smile. She was confused slightly by the grin spreading across his lips but the thought of the blush forming was soon forgotten, as his lips were against hers in a tender kiss. She fell into a pit of bliss as his strong arms wrapped gently around her, careful still of her back. He was gentle, something he never was with a woman but this was no woman. This was Elena. His Elena. In response, her arm moved up his chest to the back of his neck, her fingers locking in his silky hair. The passion of the kiss grew, the wait they had both put themselves through finally being released in such a loving motion.

Damon's hands moved from her shoulders to her back before running across her ass, lifting her onto the counter so she met his height. A small groan escaped from his throat as his hardening member brushed against her core, her jeans the only thing between them. Elena thought about this happening, she thought she would be scared. Scared of giving herself to Damon but she felt relaxed in his arms so much that she took a step forward and ran the tip of her tongue against his lips.

As she did, the kiss quickly turned into searing lust as he responded, their tongues battling for domination as she gripped his raven hair tighter. A moan in the form of his name escaped her lips and this made Damon pull back slowly, his nose touching hers and their panting in sync. The sound of his name leaving her mouth in that manner was enough to drive him to the end and it didn't help when she moved her fingers from his hair and gently down the side of his chiselled jaw.

"What is it?" she asked quietly, searching his eyes for the reason he had stopped. He looked at her with vulnerability running through his crystal blue orbs.

"This is really happening…" Elena smiled gently, her finger grazing lightly over his bottom lip, swollen from their kiss. "I love you…"

A small giggle left Elena and Damon grinned as he moved his hands from her ass and to the edge of her thin shirt, lifting it slowly over her head and taking in the white lace bra that was hidden underneath.

His lips moved to hers once more, leaving a simple peck against her lips before moving down her jaw and to her neck, leaving open mouth kisses against her skin. He felt her chest heave lightly against his as her breathing increased. He could smell her arousal as he moved a hand to cup her bra-covered breast, feeling her hardened peaks beneath the smooth material. Elena's hands danced down his back as her teeth pierced her bottom lip at the pleasure he was giving her simply by kissing her.

"Damon…" she moaned in pleasure but also wanted to catch his attention as the water of the tub behind them moved dangerously close to the rim of the porcelain, threatening to spill across. "Damon, the tub…."

Her voice rang through his ears like a song but his realization soon caught up to him as he heard the water hit the tile floors. In a flash he had left the position between her legs and was at the golden tap, turning it quickly before the water flooded the bathroom. Turning to look over at her, his foot landed in a puddle of water and he slipped lightly, Elena laughing from the counter as he managed to stop the flow of water. He caught himself on the window ledge and glared playfully over at her.

"What are you twelve?" he asked as he stood up, moving over to her again slowly before lifting her off the counter, grasping her in his arms as if she were his bride. He returned to the side of the bath, tauntingly slow as Elena looked at him in horror.

"Damon, don't you dare!"

"Now Miss Gilbert is it good for the earth to waste perfectly good water?" His foot left the ground and was over the tubs edge and into the water.

"Damon, you're fully clothed!" Now standing in the tub, Damon sat them both down, erupting a squeal from Elena.

"We can change that," he whispered huskily as his teeth nipped her earlobe before turning her so she was straddling his lap, the water now falling over the edge but neither caring. In a swift motion, he pulled his black shirt off and threw it aside before looking back at the girl resting against him, her hands moving to run across his toned arms.

"Impressed are you?" he asked quietly, lightly placing his lips against hers, moving her closer to him.

"Shut up," she whispered against his lips, her fingers moving under the water to find the zipper of his now soaked jeans. In response, Damon pressed his lips against hers much stronger, his handing now cupping the back of her head so she was as close to him as he could possibly get her. Her hands were agonisingly close to his now aching member, making him shiver at just the idea of what she was doing to him. He pulled gently on her hair to make their lips part, Elena looking through her thick eyelashes down at him in a seductive manner. She felt his fingers running through her long hair and down onto her back, his skill making her barely notice that her bra was unclasped and the straps now falling down her arms.

He began to lean forward but she shook her head causing him great confusion. She moved her hands slowly up his toned chest, running over the creases of his taught abs to his strong shoulders. Instead she leaned forward, placing her lips against his ear before whispering stand up. He obeyed, the bulge in his pants obvious as she pulled the jeans from his legs, leaving his black boxers the only thing clinging to his wet body.

"God Elena," Damon could have taken her there and then but he wanted this to last. He kneeled back in the water, his lips moving straight to her chest, his hands running across her hardened nipples and earning a gasp in return. A surge of electricity ran through him as he felt her hands return to his lower region. He growled against his skin as her hands dipped into his boxers, wrapping her fingers around his hardened length. He felt his hips jutting forward lightly at her touch, the anticipation of events unfolding making him even harder, if physically possible as she stroked him lightly. He could feel his fangs probing against his gums, begging to be let put down as he heard her heart thud in her chest, blood pumping through her body.

Elena felt his hands move slowly down her stomach, almost too slow. In a second, her jeans were gone leaving her in only a pair of matching white panties. Her forehead fell against his muscled shoulder lightly as he moved the thin material from her legs and tossing them to the ground, returning quickly to tease her entrance with a single finger before adding a second. A muffled 'Damon' dripped from her lips as he slipped a digit into her slowly, stretching her gently soon after by adding a second. A cry of pleasure built in her throat as he moved his fingers within her, forgetting the fact she had completely forgotten his manhood as her nails dug into his forearm that was holding her by the hip.

His head moved to look at her face, her eyes closed with pleasure as she rested against him. "Don't you think…" he kissed her shoulder, nipping lightly. "It's a little unfair that your naked and I'm not?"

She laughed, lifting her forehead from his shoulder and placing it against his. "Only Damon Salvatore would think that was unfair.'

"It's a part of my charm," he grinned teasingly as she rolled her eyes, his voice very low, something Elena seemed to find enduring. "I'm sure you could help me though, right?"

A breathless gasp left her suddenly as he moved her lower half against hers, his fingers running over the tightened bundle of nerves making her jump slightly.

"God, you are insatiable" Her hands moved under water as he lifted his hips lightly, helping her rid him of the boxers, which soon became apart of the pile of soaked clothes that lay on the tile floor of the bathroom. They groaned in sync as their naked flesh touched fully, Damon placing feverent kisses up towards her lips. She whimpered as she felt him against her, his length nudging her stomach. He slowly pulled her into his lap again, moving them down the tub so she was resting against the side, pieces of her long hair damp and laying over the edge.

He adjusted himself so his tip was against her as he moved her chin lightly so they were looking straight into each other eyes. She nodded lightly, her arm moving so it was placed around his neck lightly, the heat in the room causing their skin to stick lightly. He inched forward, giving them both what they yearned for. Slipping inside her, Damon let a sigh of pleasure out before pausing, giving her time to adjust. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her. It seemed that both he and Elena had completely forgot about her back, the water and the pleasure Damon was giving her shielding the pain completely. He felt her inner walls contract against him and he had to hold himself from falling over the edge there and then. Using this as a signal, Damon moved himself further into her tight entrance, watching her face for any signs of pain. All he saw, however, was her head falling against the warm porcelain, her eyes closed in pleasure as she felt him fill her completely. Damon had been with a lot of women but never before had he felt such a strong connection between him and another person. He felt her move slightly and she was soon against him, their chests pushing together.

"You feel amazing," he told her gently, moving slowly to start with. She cried his name in a whisper against his earlobe as pleasure ran through her.

"Oh god, Damon…."

Elena raised her hips to meet his thrusts and he quickened his pace, gripping her hips tightly under the water. She met every one of his thrusts with a loud moan as he hit her clit with his hipbone. She had never felt this much pleasure, not with Matt and defiantly not with Stefan. Stefan treated her like she was a twig and would break beneath her at any point. Damon on the other hand, was different. He was still gentle but knew how much she could handle as he pounded into her with powerful thrusts, hearing her high building in the sound of her heartbeat.

"Elena…" he groaned her name as he felt himself growing closer to falling into the abyss of pleasure. Feeling her muscles clamping around him brought his muscles in his arms to what felt like jelly. Within a few more thrusts into her, both reached their peak, their names merging together in pleasurable sighs and grunts as they ran out their orgasms.

He felt her arms move around his middle, her fingers grasping his back lightly as her breathing slowed into a normal pattern. He gazed up at her as he leant them both against the back of the tub, her body resting against his as he remained inside her.

"Wow" was all she could say as she came back to earth unable to find the words to describe how she felt.

"I told you bubble bath was a luxury," he said gently, his fingers playing with the tips of her damp hair as he felt her shudder slightly, a laugh running through her chest.

"I'll keep that in mind.' She sat up slowly, in result Damon slipping out of her. He watched her intently as her chocolate orbs found his, a smile falling on her lips soon after. "That was amazing…."

"You are amazing," he said in reply, his voice quiet and full of admiration that she felt her cheeks turning the embarrassing shade of red from earlier. He brought her to him once again, his arm falling over her shoulder so she was resting against his stomach and so that she was sat between his legs. He leaned over her lightly to pull the stopper from the bath, turning the faucet back on after and letting fresh hot water run around them, causing Elena to sigh lightly, her body relaxing beneath his.

"You still stink," she said after a moment's silence. He chuckled, clasping his fingers around her stomach so she couldn't move. She felt soft kisses against her shoulder once more as one of his hands moved to the ledge closest to them, a black washcloth falling into the water. He let it soak up some of the liquid before lifting it to her shoulder; rubbing the cloth against her skin and watching bubbles fall over her shoulder down her chest.

"Do something about it then, Miss Gilbert…."

**- TVD -**

**I promised you bubbles! Reviews make me smile so be sure to leave one!**


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